How to deglaze and reduce

✅ The essentials

After browning meat or onions, small brown deposits are left at the bottom of the pan: the fond. They have a lot of flavour. Deglazing is pouring a liquid over them to loosen them. Reducing is letting it boil to concentrate. Two minutes, and you have a sauce.

🍳 The method

1. Take the meat out, it rests on its plate. If there is a lot of fat in the pan, pour off the excess.
2. Put the pan back on high heat and pour in half a glass of liquid: water, stock, white or red wine, lemon juice, even orange juice.
3. Scrape the bottom with the spatula while it boils. The fond dissolves and the liquid takes on a nice colour.
4. Let it boil one to three minutes, until it thickens a little and coats the spoon.
5. Off the heat, add a knob of butter or a spoon of cream if you like. Taste, salt, and pour over the meat.

⏱️ How long it takes

Three minutes, while the meat rests.

🩹 If it goes wrong

Too reduced, too salty or too strong: add a little water. Too thin: let it boil one more minute. It went black: the fond burnt and the sauce will be bitter, throw it away, and next time lower the heat while the meat cooks. With wine, let it boil at least a minute so the alcohol evaporates.

🍽️ Make it tonight

The grandma-style bolognese sauce: the red wine poured over the browned meat is exactly this move.