DEGLAZING WITH WINE

Deglazing the pan with wine is the easiest way to make a sauce. These sauces start with pan-searing poultry, pork, beef, lamb or vegetarian options like eggplant or tempeh to brown them, as in the braising technique. Then wine is added to loosen the caramelized browned bits in the pan (these are huge flavour sources, so don’t let them go to waste). The liquid in the pan concentrates as it reduces over heat, creating a lot of flavour with little work. Bonus: Deglazing also helps clean the pan!

Deglazing works best for proteins like chicken breasts, beef fillets and pork chops that are thick enough to brown before becoming overcooked. Don’t rush the process—charring the meat will create acrid flavour in your pan sauce. Use a generous amount of oil to help with browning, as you can always pour off any excess before deglazing. To lengthen and give pan sauces more depth of flavour, add stock, water, jam or jelly, cream, chilled butter or sour cream.