Basic technique that any kitchen professional soon learns, a deglaze should also be part of the essential knowledge of anyone who cooks at home. It is not as elementary a process as frying, cooking or roasting, but knowing how to deglaze allows us to obtain much tastier dishes, appetizing and refined. And his technique is very simple.
If a large part of the foundations of a restaurant lies in its stocks and broths, the final touch that crowns many of the chef’s dishes is hidden in its delicious sauces, juices and glazes. deglaze is the soul of what English speakers call willow breadthe classic and simple sauce that can be prepared simply by cooking and reducing certain ingredients in a pan or casserole, which provides a burst of aromas and flavors.
what is deglaze
The Royal Academy of Language still does not have the term incorporated into its dictionary, but it is a well-known word in the gastronomic world that, like so many others, derives from French. Let’s say that it derives from another that the RAE does collect, “glaze”, from the French glazewhich, in one of its meanings, consists of giving shine or making a food shiny through different means.
But deglaze, deglacer in french and deglaze in English, it is a more specific technique that always starts from having previously cooked something in a given cookware. That is, you cannot do a deglaze from scratch. It usually starts with a roast, a sauté or a braise.
Essentially, this procedure consists of applying one or more liquids to the dry and hot surface of a frying pan, griddle, fountain, casserole or similar, preferably cast iron or stainless steel, after cooking meat, fish, shellfish, or certain vegetables or plant proteins.
By integrating this liquid element and bringing it to a boil, the particles left by the cooked food, including more solid remains that may have remained attached, are released as the bottom is scratched with a spatula or similar tool. The objective is to recover juices, nutrients and other elements, normally with intense flavors and aromas, rich in umamito take advantage of them in the final dish.
Depending on the liquid added, as well as other possible ingredients, a simple reduction of juices or a more elaborate sauce to serve in a sauceboat or directly cover and glaze the cooked food, for example a roast chicken or a steak.
How to Deglaze a Skillet, Casserole, or Platter
We start from a kitchen container in which we have just cooked meat, fish or vegetables. Ideally, said utensil should be made of stainless steel, cast iron or glass (in the case of oven sources), since the food they will have held on better and more efficiently released its sugars, fats and other tasty elements. Non-stick pans are less appreciated here.
We remove the food cooked, keeping them warm if they are to be served later, for example in the oven with residual heat or covered. Large pieces of meat do not usually need extra protection and rest is even better for them.
if they have stayed solid remains unappealing food items can be removed with tweezers or the like for a cleaner deglaze. Furthermore, it is advisable to remove the excess fat -only if it is very excessive- or very burnt pieces.
We return to put the frying pan or source to mid fire, letting it take a good temperature. Or, in your case, the oven dish, which must be suitable for the cooktop.
We add a liquid, filling one or two fingers of the surface of the utensil. We will gain in flavor and texture if instead of water we use broth, white wine, red wine, brandy, odorous wine, good vinegar, orange or lemon juice, beer, cider, cava… or a combination of several liquids.
Bring to a gentle boil and stir continuously with a spoon or spatula. scratching conscientiously the entire bottom to extract those precious flavor particles.
We cook a few minutes until it reduces and the aromas intensify, being able to lower the heat at the end to prevent it from evaporating too quickly. We take it to a sauce boat or jar, passing it through a fine sieve if we prefer to remove any impurities.
How to make a sauce from a deglaze
To take deglazing to the next level and make a delicious sauce in a few minutes, we only need a few more ingredients and steps. In this case we seek to deglaze with less liquid and enrich the mixture with other elements. There are several options:
- We make the deglaze done with a splash of wine, beer, non-alcoholic version or mild vinegar, reducing until Few tablespoons left of liquid.
We add some 300-400 ml of broth and let it simmer to reduce by approximately half. It will be tastier if we first dissolve a teaspoon of neutral gelatin powder in the broth, especially if we use very light vegetable or poultry broth.
we enrich the sauce with a tablespoon of butter, crème fraîche or a splash of liquid cream. Season with salt and pepper and season with nutmeg or other spices, stirring well with a whisk.
Another variant consists of dissolve the butter first when deglazing, adding if desired minced or crushed garlic, shallots or finely chopped chives, fresh herbs such as sprigs of thyme, rosemary, dill or tarragon, which go very well with fish. Dijon or old-fashioned mustard are also good ingredients for enrichment.
Similarly, it is possible to practice red with the deglazing and thus make a richer and thicker sauce before covering it with broth or milk, leaving it more or less thick and even reaching the point of bechamel.
Pictures | iStock – Didriks
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