Deglazing A Pan: Oil, Water, And The Perfect Sauce

Deglazing a pan is a simple cooking technique that can be used to create a delicious sauce or gravy and also to clean the pan. It involves adding a liquid to a hot pan to remove the brown, sticky residue or fond that is left after cooking meat, fish, or vegetables at a high temperature. The fond contains a multitude of flavours and deglazing allows you to harness all of that extra flavour that would otherwise be scrubbed off and poured down the sink.

Choose a deglazing liquid: wine, stock, or water

When deglazing a pan, you can use almost any liquid that suits your dish. Wine, stock, or water are all popular options. If you're making a soup or stew, you can deglaze with a small amount of broth or stock. For a neutral flavour, water is a good option.

Wine is a classic choice for deglazing because it adds a wonderful flavour to pan sauces, especially for steaks and red meats. You can use either red or white wine, depending on the dish and what you'll be drinking with your meal. If you're serving an expensive wine with dinner, use a less pricey one for your sauce. Any dry wine will work, except perhaps an over-oaked Chardonnay.

If you're making a sauce for poultry or fish, white wine is a better choice. For red meats such as lamb, beef, or venison, red wine tends to work better.

Beer works well for robust meat dishes and earthy vegetables, while fruit juice can create a sweet sauce to pair with pork. Citrus juices like lemon and orange, red and white wine vinegars, and apple cider are also great options.

If you're feeling fancy, you can deglaze with cognac or brandy, but be careful as the vapours may ignite. Keep the pan away from flames and do not lean over it.

Remove ingredients and skim excess fat

After sautéing or roasting meat, fish, or vegetables, the next step in deglazing is to remove the ingredients from the pan. Transfer the ingredients to another dish, leaving the fond—the brown, sticky residue—behind in the pan.

If the pan still contains a lot of fat, you'll want to remove some of it. Simply spoon off the excess fat or pour it through a strainer, making sure to return any crusty brown solids to the pan. Leaving too much fat in the pan will make your sauce greasy and increase spattering when you deglaze.

Pour in the liquid

Now it's time to add the liquid to your hot pan. As a rule of thumb, use 1 cup (240 mL) of liquid for an entrée serving four people. Remember, the liquid will reduce to about half its original volume and will gain an intense flavour. If you're short on time, halve the amount of liquid.

Add the liquid slowly or in stages. This keeps the pan hot, helping the fond dissolve faster.

For a sturdy stainless steel or cast-iron pan, you can simply leave the pan on the heat before adding the liquid. But for flimsier pans and enamelware, it's best to let the pan cool slightly before adding the liquid to avoid warping or damaging the pan.

Pour in about a quarter of a cup or so of liquid—just enough to cover the bottom of the pan by about a quarter of an inch or less. The liquid will often steam and bubble, so take a step back if necessary.

Scrape the fond until it dissolves

To deglaze a pan, you'll need to scrape at the fond until it dissolves. The fond refers to the brown, sticky bits of food that are stuck to the bottom of the pan after cooking meat or vegetables at a high temperature. These browned bits are packed with flavour, and you can use them to create a tasty sauce.

To dissolve the fond, heat the pan over a medium-high burner. While the pan is heating up, scrape at the base of the pan with a wooden or rubber tool. Keep doing this until the liquid is boiling and most of the fond has dissolved.

It's important to use the right type of pan when deglazing. Non-stick pans are not suitable because the ingredients won't stick and caramelise, so you'll lose out on flavour. Instead, use stainless steel, aluminium, cast iron, or enameled cast iron cookware.

Pour over the dish or make a pan sauce

Once you've deglazed your pan, you can either pour the liquid over your dish or turn it into a pan sauce. If you're in a hurry, you can pour the deglazing liquid over your dish as soon as the fond has dissolved.

However, if you have a little more time, you can turn the deglazing liquid into a richer pan sauce. To do this, add some aromatics to the liquid, such as garlic, shallots, herbs, mushrooms, carrots, celery, or onions. You can also add a little salt and pepper at this stage, but be mindful that a stock-based sauce may already be quite salty after reducing.

Next, boil the liquid until it has reduced by half and has a syrupy consistency. This will concentrate the flavours and evaporate some of the alcohol, if present. If your deglazing liquid has been in contact with raw meat, make sure it reaches a rolling boil before serving.

Finally, if you want a smooth and rich sauce, you can finish it with a bit of cream or melted butter. For a restaurant-style presentation, you can strain the sauce before serving to ensure an even texture.

Frequently asked questions