Definition, use, and examples of the word deglaze.
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I’m Jenn de la Vega and this is your culinary word of the day.
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Today’s word is deglaze.
It is spelled...D-E-G-L-A-Z-E.
The Larousse Gastronomique notes:
“Deglazing is done by pouring a small quantity of liquid into the pan over the heat, dissolving all the pan juices in it, leaving it to cook and take on colour, then reducing it until the right consistency is achieved. In the course of this operation, wines lose their acidity… When the deglazing liquid is well reduced, it is moistened with stock (clear or thickened), bouillon, fumet, etc., in order to make gravy or sauce.”
Danilo Alfaro of The Spruce Eats expands on what liquids to use for deglazing,
“You'll get excellent results using wine, stock, juice, vinegar, or even beer. Likewise any leftover cooking liquid from other ingredients, like the water you simmered beans in. But don't use plain water as it won't add any flavor. [...] Once you've deglazed and reduced, simply season with salt and pepper and serve it as a simple pan sauce.”
Cheyenne Buckingham prods further through an interview with Chef Dan Harris for Eat This Not That,
"Deglazing works best in stainless steel pans, which conduct even heat and create excellent caramelization, which helps build excellent pan sauces and braises.
It was formerly believed that deglazing a cast iron skillet with an acidic liquid like wine or vinegar was unsafe in fear of the acid reacting with the exposed metal and ultimately giving the food a metallic taste. That theory has since been debunked, but there's one condition: you have to regularly season your cast iron skillet for this to be completely safe. That way, the acid will come into contact with the seasoned layer as opposed to direct contact with the metal.
Harris says that a pan should be deglazed after what's called a fond has formed. A fond, he says, is simply the seared bits of food that have become stuck at the bottom of the pan.”
Sara Kate Gillingham of The Kitchn explains,
“After sautéing or roasting a piece of meat in a pan, remove it and pour off any extra fat (as in the case of roasting something large in the oven). There will be little bits of food stuck to the bottom; usually quite cooked. These are the caramelized droppings from the juices of the meat. These little bits are packed with flavor, and only need a liquid, such as wine, stock, or juice to release their flavors.
Pour in a few tablespoons or so (enough to cover the bottom of the pan 1/4″ or less), with the heat still under the pan, and scrape the bottom with a wooden spatula vigorously as the liquid comes to a boil. Do not let it boil for more than a few seconds and you make sure you’ve released all the particles from the pan. You have deglazed the pan and can now use the resulting liquid to make a sauce or gravy.”
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I’m Jenn de la Vega and this has been your culinary word of the day.
Next time on Culinary Word of the day, we pile on the layers.
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