To add liquid to a pan to dissolve and incorporate the browned bits (fond) stuck to the bottom after cooking meat or vegetables. This technique captures concentrated flavors to create sauces or gravies.
From French 'déglacer', literally meaning 'to remove the glaze'. The term emerged in professional French cuisine to describe the process of dissolving the caramelized proteins and sugars that form a glaze-like coating on pan surfaces during high-heat cooking.
Those brown bits left in your pan aren't mess—they're liquid gold! Called 'fond' by chefs, these caramelized proteins contain more concentrated flavor than the original ingredient itself. Deglazing transforms what looks like burnt residue into the foundation of world-class sauces.
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