by J, Michael Wheeler
Tasty Cleanup With a Wooden Spoon
All of those crispy bits that remain on the bottom of your pans and pots after sautéing or browning are called the fond, from the French, to mean the base. And on that foundation great sauces are made. The first step is to remove the accumulated fat and then deglaze the hot pan with a little liquid: water, broth, tequila, wine. When the liquid boils, scrape the bits off the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon and they’ll add incredibly concentrated flavors to your soon-to-be sauce. Add a dollop of butter or crème fraîche, S&P, and you’re in business. Of course, you could get more elaborate by adding minced shallots, or sautéed mushrooms, or capers, or…well that’s another story.
And the cleanup? If you decide that, for unknowable reasons, you don’t want a rich and tasty mushroom/shallot sauce with your beautifully pan-seared rib eye steak, a sauce you could make in the short time your steak rests before serving, if you decide you don’t want the sauce, well then, deglaze the pan anyway!
Because now you have a pan without crispy bits sticking to it. When the pan cools, pour out that could-have-been-a-sauce. A simple soap and water washing will finish the clean-up. No soaking, no scrubbing.
But no sauce.
Stir Fry Set, Natural Spalted Ambrosia Beetle (Flag) Maple Wood, Hand Carved in USA
Wok - Left and Right Hand Orientation! A special treat for the chef in your home, this functional and beautiful Kitchen Pair is functional and ergonomic! It includes: a Pair of flat stir fry spatulas, freehand cut on our bandsaw of natural Spalted Ambrosia Beetle (Flag) Maple Wood. - characterized by holes in the wood and a "flag" pattern. We make other variations of this item in different wood species. These are our ORIGINAL designs, and are handcrafted in East Tennessee by my husband and me. We make each of our Kitchen Utensil Holders individually and one at a time. Each piece is signed. We finish our kitchen products in food safe mineral oil and beeswax, and include care instructions to insure you have nice kitchenware for years of use. Each item is designed and hand made by Phil and Martha Baerreis, and is 100% warranted against defects in workmanship or material.
Hand selected wooden spoons and more are at Foodie's Emporium!
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