croute

Croute is a term most often encountered in French cuisine, where the standard spelling is croûte (with a circumflex on the u). In English contexts the form croute is uncommon and usually indicates a reference to French terms or historical usage; the everyday English equivalent is crust or pastry crust.

In cooking, croûte refers to a crust or pastry layer that encases or crowns food. The expression en croûte describes dishes where meat, fish, or pâté is wrapped in dough or pastry and baked until the outer crust is golden. A pâté en croûte is a classic dish that consists of pâté baked within a pastry crust. Crusts may also form on bread, cheeses, or gratin toppings.

Etymology and spelling: croûte comes from Old French croûte, stemming from Latin crusta; the circumflex indicates a historical s, consistent with related terms in other Romance languages. The non-diacritic form croute is generally considered a misspelling or archaic variant in modern French and English.

Other uses and related terms: In geology the French word for the Earth's crust is croûte terrestre; in English scientists usually say crust. The diminutive croûton refers to a small toasted bread cube; crouton in English is derived from it. The concept of crust also appears in culinary contexts such as cheese rind and pastry toppings.