~---------RIDE THE GRAVY
TRAIN-------------------------------------- chicken or
a light wine sauce to nap a seared steak, the basis
for easy and wonderful enrichments for sauteed, fried
or roasted dishes is what's left sticking to the
bottom of the pan. The process of turning a
messy-looking skillet into an ethereal, richly
flavored liquid in a matter of minutes is called
deglazing. That's because the brown bits are
caramelized meat juices that escaped while the food
was cooking. They will meld with the liquid, and can
then be augmented with anything from salt and pepper
to fresh herbs and lemon zest. It not only makes a
great sauce, it also renders the pan virtually clean.
The only caveat is to brown the food without burning
the juices. Even if you start with high heat to sear a
piece of meat, reduce the heat to medium high so that
the juices don't burn. This is especially important if
you are cooking food in batches. The first round of
beef cubes might be fine at high heat, but keeping the
heat there will burn the brown bits as quickly as the
tropical sun will scorch a fair-skinned person. The
first step to deglazing is to degrease the pan. If you
were pan- frying, pour the grease into a measuring
cup, and see if any meat juices sink to the bottom. If
there is a layer, carefully pour off the grease,
reserving the liquid at the bottom to add to the sauce
later. If the food was sauteed, there won't be enough
juice to worry about, so just dispose of the fat. You
now have a choice to make. Do you want to saute a
chopped onion, a few shallots, or a clove or two of
garlic as part of your sauce? If so, add some fresh
butter or oil to the skillet and saute the vegetables
over medium heat, stirring frequently. The moisture in
the vegetables will start to coax the brown bits off
the bottom of the pan. Then add whatever liquid you
are using, with the pan over medium high heat. Your
liquid can be stock, wine, fruit juice, water, cream
or some combination. The basic amount for a deglazing
sauce is 1/2-to-2/3 cup for a 10- or 12-inch skillet.
Raise the heat to high and stir the liquid, scraping
it all across the bottom of the pan to dislodge the
brown bits. You want to boil the liquid down rapidly
until it has reduced in volume by 1/2. It should have
an almost syrupy consistency. When it has a syrupy
consistency, lower the heat to low and taste the sauce
for seasoning. You can stir in some fresh or dried
herbs, a bit of salt, if needed, or a few grinds of
pepper.
