After you sear chicken, steak, or pork, the pan is coated with dark brown bits stuck to the bottom. That is called fond, and it is one of the most flavorful things in your kitchen. With three minutes and a few ingredients, it becomes a sauce that makes a plain piece of meat look like restaurant food.
Start with the fond
Once your meat is cooked and resting, pour off most of the fat but leave the brown bits. Set the pan over medium heat. If you want, soften a chopped shallot or some garlic in the residual fat for a minute first.
Deglaze and reduce
- Pour in about half a cup of liquid: wine, stock, or even water in a pinch.
- Scrape the bottom with a wooden spoon as it bubbles. The fond dissolves into the liquid.
- Let it simmer and reduce by about half, until it looks slightly syrupy.
Finish with butter
Take the pan off the heat and swirl in a tablespoon or two of cold butter until it melts into the sauce and goes glossy. This is the step that makes it taste rich and pulls everything together. Stir in any juices that pooled under the resting meat. Taste and adjust with salt, a squeeze of lemon, or fresh herbs. Spoon it over the meat right before serving so the meat does not sit in it and go soggy.