Timbale [TIM-ball] n. a dish of finely minced meat or fish shaped like a cylinder or drum and cooked in a pastry shell or in a mold.
The word timbale comes from the French for drum. The traditional usage always refers to meat or fish - a savory dish, like this Crab Timbale With Avocado and Quinoa on Gazpacho. But restaurants and chefs often use the word now to refer to any small shaped dish, like a molded chocolate mousse or individually-sized shaped cheeses.
Check out, for instance, these Warm Goat-cheese Timbales from Gourmet - delicious!
