Deglaze

To deglaze is to add liquid to a hot pan after browning food, then loosen the caramelized residue—called fond—from the bottom of the pan. The liquid dissolves the fond and incorporates its concentrated flavour into a sauce, gravy or braising liquid. Deglazing is a fundamental technique in professional cooking.

How to deglaze a pan

1. Remove the cooked meat, fish or vegetables and manage excess fat, leaving the useful browned fond.
2. Choose a suitable liquid such as wine, stock, water or vinegar according to the recipe.
3. Take care when adding liquid to a hot pan; pour in a controlled manner to avoid splashing and steam burns.
4. Scrape the bottom of the pan with a suitable utensil to loosen the fond.
5. Simmer or reduce the liquid as required, then finish the sauce with the remaining ingredients.

Examples of deglazing

After searing a steak, a cook may remove excess fat, add shallots and deglaze with red wine before reducing the liquid and adding stock. A roasting pan can be deglazed with water or stock to create the base for gravy. White wine is often used to deglaze a pan after cooking fish or shellfish.

Deglazing versus reduction

Deglazing dissolves browned residue from the cooking surface. Reduction concentrates a liquid by evaporation. A pan sauce may be deglazed first and reduced afterward, but the two techniques are not the same.

Common mistakes

Do not deglaze with a pan full of burnt black residue, as the bitter flavour can carry into the sauce. Avoid adding too much liquid if the recipe requires a concentrated sauce, and allow the fond to dissolve before straining or finishing.

Chef’s tip: the best fond is deeply browned, not burnt. Use a liquid that complements the main ingredient and adjust the final seasoning after reduction.

Watch the deglazing demonstration