Fond
锅底焦化物
The browned protein and sugar layer that sticks to the pan during a sear. It is flavour, and it is meant to be dissolved back into a sauce with wine, stock or vinegar.
In the kitchen
Searing short ribs on all four faces left a 1 mm fond across the braiser base; 250 ml of red wine lifted it in about 40 seconds of scraping, and that became the sauce.
Common misreading
Fond and burnt residue look similar in a photo but taste completely different. Fond is a deep brown that smells savoury; anything black and bitter is burnt, and deglazing it will put that bitterness into the sauce.
Runs that use it
- IFX-014Seared scallops: a 20 minute dry brine against a wet surface
- IFX-013Pork shoulder in a Dutch oven: 150 °C versus 180 °C oven
- IFX-011Braised short ribs: searing all four faces in a 12 in braiser
- IFX-010Shallow frying in a 10 in skillet: oil depth against temperature recovery
- IFX-009Crisp-skin snapper: what a 3.5 minute skin-side sear costs in stick index
- IFX-008Skillet cornbread: preheated fat versus a room-temperature pan
- IFX-006Ridged grill pan: ridge temperature versus valley temperature on a 28 mm sirloin
- IFX-002Smash burger: pressing at 5, 15 or 30 seconds in a 10 in skillet