De-Glazing, Anyone?
Lots of recipes now include the instructions, “Deglaze the pan.” Do you know what that means? It’s a popular trend in cooking, but actually, it’s a technique that has been around for ages.
After sautéing or roasting food, look at the bottom of the pan. Those dark food particles stuck to the bottom are caramelized drippings from meat juices. This is called fond, a French term that means ‘foundation.’ Fond is full of flavor and can be used to make gravy or sauce.
The best way to capture these amazing nuggets of flavor is to deglaze the pan. Add any liquid, such as broth, wine, stock or water and start scraping vigorously to remove the fond from the pan bottom. Bring the liquid to a boil, simmer, and let the liquid reduce. This is the secret ingredient for flavorful sauces…and now you know!
Published 01/19/11
