Dar cuerpo (To Give Body / To Develop Structure): To work a preparation by kneading it to give it good plastic quality (texture/structure).

Decantar (To Decant): To let a liquid rest for the time necessary for suspended impurities to settle, after which it can be transferred (poured off).

Desalar (To Desalt): To submerge a salted food in cold water or milk. For codfish: Place in cold water for 24 hours and change the water halfway through.

Desangrar (To Bleed / To Draw Blood): To submerge meat or fish in cold water or milk so that they lose blood (used to clean the item).

Desbridar (To Untruss): To remove the thread or string that trussed the food after it has been stewed or cooked.

Descamar (To Scale): To strip a fish of its scales.

Descascarar (To Shell / To Hull): To remove the hard shell or peel from certain nuts, such as almonds, hazelnuts, and walnuts.

Descorazonar (To Core): To remove the central core of fruits. This can be done to both whole fruits and sliced fruits.

Desecar (To Dry Out): To eliminate excess water from a preparation by heating it over low heat.

Desflemar (To Remove Pungency / To Soften Flavor): To immerse in hot water to remove a strong flavor (often used for onions or chili peppers).

Desglasar (To Deglaze): To pour a liquid into a hot pan where a piece of food has been seared, in order to lift the caramelized juices (fond) from the pan bottom.

Desgrasar (To Degrease / To Skim Fat): To remove the fat from a sauce or stock.

Deshuesar (To Debone / To Bone): To remove the bones from an animal for subsequent use.

Desmoldar (To Unmold): To extract a preparation from a mold.

Desollar (To Skin): To remove the skin from a rabbit, hare, lamb, etc.

Despojar (To Trim / To Strip): To completely clean (trim) a piece of meat, poultry, or fish.

Desvenar (To Devein): The action of cleaning a raw material of its nervous and fatty content (e.g., deveining shrimp or foie gras).

Dobleciselado (Double Mincing): Cutting bulbous vegetables (like onions) against the grain and then crosswise to obtain a fine dice.

Dorar (To Brown / To Sauté / To Glaze): (1) To place a preparation brushed with egg or milk in the oven for a short time to acquire a golden color (Glaze) / (2) To sauté food over high heat so that it acquires color (Sear/Brown).