Cooking technique of the week: deglazing

Here at Cook Local, we’re not professional chefs. We’ve learned a lot by trial and error. When I first encountered  a recipe that required me to deglaze something, I had no clue what they were talking about. Luckily it was an easy recipe and I was able to follow along without a problem. However not all recipes (even ours) are that easy to follow. So every Thursday, we’ll bring you a quick definition and a couple of pointers on a different cooking technique.

Today’s technique is Deglazing.

Deglaze: To remove bits of browned or caramelized food from a pan with the use of a cooking liquid in order to make a sauce out of them. The cooking liquid used can be a broth, but is probably most commonly an alcoholic liquid such as wine, beer, or cooking sherry. Once the browned or caramelized bits of food are loosened from the bottom of the pan, they dissolve in the cooking liquid, flavoring the sauce. *

Deglazing is a common instruction when making a sauce for steak, as the steak is often seared (look for this definition next week) or browned in a pan, leaving caramelized bits of steak behind. This technique is also used in many risottos. An implement such as a wooden spoon is useful for scraping up any browned bits without damaging the pan. You might practice deglazing with some pork chops or some risotto. Or try one of my very favorite dishes for cold winter days: beef stew with bacon!

Happy deglazing!

Sources: *Definition adapted from Wikipedia.