If you are going to take the time to cook, then Let’s Cook Tonight® wants you to get as much flavor as possible for your efforts. The difference between mediocre cooks and great ones is just a bit of knowledge. Good cooks know a few tricks of the trade and use them consistently.
Creating fond, those browned bits of meat or vegetables that stick to the bottom of the pan, is one trick worth learning and incorporating into your dishes. The browned bits are not to be avoided because they add incomparable flavor to the finished dish. The key to fond is very high heat, dry ingredients, not crowding the pot, and not moving the food.
Start with a stainless steel or cast iron pot. Do not use non-stick cookware; fond will not form in non-stick pots. Heat the pot on high and add olive oil. Fond is created with very high heat; olive oil has a much higher burning temperature than butter. If you use butter, it will burn long before those browned bits are formed. If you are browning meat, pick it up with a paper towel and dry it. Moisture will prevent fond from forming. If you are browning vegetables, their natural moisture is fine, but if you wash them, you must dry them with a paper towel.
Add the meat in small batches. If you overcrowd the pot, the meat will not brown. Keep the heat on high and resist the temptation to stir or move the food after you have added it to the hot oil. The key to browning is to leave the food undisturbed for a few minutes to allow it to form a color and for bits of the food to stick to the pan. Do not be anxious that the food will burn; it will not because you are not going to keep it there too long. With experience, you will know when the browning has occurred. In the beginning, turn one piece over to see what it looks like; if it is pale in color, leave the rest in place. When they become a nice dark brown, but not black brown, turn them over and brown the other side.
Once the meat has browned, use a spatula to remove it from the pot. Take a good look at your fond--those delicious browned bits stuck to the pan. Those bits will take your dishes from mediocre to extraordinary. Add your liquid or additional vegetables and gently scrape the fond from the bottom so it is released into the liquid. This is called deglazing and the moisture will “clean” your pot. Then continue with the dish.
Are you up to creating fond?
Cooking is easier than you think and you are worth the time and effort it takes.
Simple cooking idea: When you freeze leftover food, wrap them in individual potions. That way you can heat up just enough for lunch or one person.
Copyright ©2010 by Gigi Centaro. All Rights Reserved.
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