How to Deglaze a Pan

That dark brown, caramelized meat stuck to the bottom of a pan after frying or baking is called fond and is full of rich flavor. Fond is the basis of creating amazing sauces and gravies. If you dread trying to clean that baked-on mess from the pan, deglaze your pan with a liquid it instead. Not only will your pan be much easier to clean, you'll add additional flavor to your meal.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Pan with caramelized meat residue
• Wooden spoon
• Deglazing liquid

1. Remove the meat from the pan.

2. If there is a large amount of fat in the pan, discard most of it.

3. Place your pan on the burner with a high setting and immediately add your deglazing liquid. If you don't have a recipe you can simply add vegetable or meat stock, wine, spirits, cola, clear sodas, fruit juices or even plain water. You can be as conservative or creative as you like.

4. Stir the fond and deglazing liquid together over high heat with a wooden spoon, scraping the stuck-on meat from the bottom of the pan to dissolve it as much as possible until it comes to a full boil.

5. Remove from heat and strain the sauce to remove any bits of brown stuff if you want a flawless presentation of the sauce.

6. Thicken the sauce if desired. Deglazing creates a flavorful, thin sauce and thickening is not required unless you prefer more of a gravy consistency.

7. Serve in a gravy boat or pour directly over the meat.

Tips & Warnings

• Always have canned chicken, beef or vegetable stock on hand for deglazing.

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