What is the correct term for adding alcohol to your pan?

[Michael in FtW]

When you flambé - it will not crisp mushrooms or onions - as the alcohol burns it also vaporizes some of the water in the rum ... so in effect you are "steaming" them - especially due to the amount of water onions and mushrooms naturally contain - the flame is just vaporing the moisture in them.

If you flambé at the end of a dish it is to burn off the raw alcohol taste and just leave the flavor of the alcohol you add ... and in the case of something like Banana's Foster - the flame will lightly caramelize some of the sugars.

Since you are just 18 and have been cooking professionally for 2.5 years - I'm sure there have been some "shortcuts" in your culinary education ... especially since you have questions about basic techniques like deglaze and flambé.

You might want to pick up a copy of Harold McGee's On Food and Cooking - The Science and Lore of the Kitchen (revised edition) and spend some time reading it instead of the time you're spending playing Halo 2 - if you're really serious about cooking.

FWIW - yeah, IMHO the sequals to the Matrix were just lame excuses to capatalize on the success of the original.

 

[stupidfab]

i mean, when u add the alcohol, i use rum, when i add it, the flam finished the onions and gives them a darker color, and a little bit of a crisp. you only need 2 put in about 1/2-1 cup of rum a the most, so its not like their simmering in the alcohol. and i know how to deglaze, i just wasn't sure if their was a special word 4 it when u add the alcohol to the pan to give it a flavor, and it ends up flaming up. because deglazing is supposed to unstick all the little bits of food. not to just give it flavor from alchahol. because u can use water when deglazing.

 

[Jeekinz]

Deglazing.

It burns because of the properties of the alcohol. I get some flames just by working the pan with oil and veggies in it sometimes. If you used a liquid that had the same flavor as the rum, but it didn't catch fire, it would still be deglazing.

 

[redgriller]

Couldn’t you also call it a Reduction since you are reducing the liquid (alcohol) in order to concentrate the flavors.

 

[Billdolfski]

To beat a dead horse:

flambé

 

[stupidfab]

To beat a dead horse:

flambé

yeah, thats what im trying 2 say, its not as simple as a reduction, or a deglaze, bc those are trying to obtain two different things than what i am. calling what im doing deglazing is like calling a reduction, deglazing something just because it uses alcohol. this is y i asked bc the line isnt clear, and i wasnt sure what to call it. but sofar the only thing that really makes sense is flambé.

 

[redgriller]

My POV would be:

If you are using the alcohol for the flame, then it is Flambé.

If you are using the alcohol to release the frond from the pan, then it is Deglazing.

If you are using the alcohol for flavor only and don’t flame, then it is a Reduction.

I think it comes down to intention. There is some reduction in both a Flambé and a Deglaze, but the question becomes what are you trying to do? Are you trying to “flame” the dish, release the frond from the pan, or concentrate the flavors of the liquid?

Your choice of liquid in a Flambé and Deglaze will also add flavor, but again, strictly speaking, what is the intention? You can add flavor with a liquid and never intend to flame it or deglaze the bottom of the pan since you only care about the flavor the liquid imparts.

Just my .02.

 

[stupidfab]

My POV would be:

If you are using the alcohol for the flame, then it is Flambé.

If you are using the alcohol to release the frond from the pan, then it is Deglazing.

If you are using the alcohol for flavor only and don’t flame, then it is a Reduction.

I think it comes down to intention. There is some reduction in both a Flambé and a Deglaze, but the question becomes what are you trying to do? Are you trying to “flame” the dish, release the frond from the pan, or concentrate the flavors of the liquid?

Your choice of liquid in a Flambé and Deglaze will also add flavor, but again, strictly speaking, what is the intention? You can add flavor with a liquid and never intend to flame it or deglaze the bottom of the pan since you only care about the flavor the liquid imparts.

Just my .02.

thanks, thats a much better explination

 

[Silversage]

So...do you text a lot? j/k!

I know I'm dating myself, but understanding the lingo and deciphering the lack of capitalization and punctuation is like learning an entirely new language!

 

[GhettoRacingKid]

hate to tell you but my $25K education says its deglazing

There are little bits that add the booze will kick up. while your nit sitting there scrapping becuase the onions and what ever natually dont stick to the pan there isnt much.

It would be great to have a special term adding alchohol to a dish (also helps justify a higher cost per plate) there isnt.

Here it is from epicurious
deglaze Definition in the Food Dictionary at Epicurious.com


ohh BTW for the dish:
You can call it something like
Rummed Onions and Mushrooms (or what ever it was.)
Onions and Mushrooms Sauteed in a Spiced Rum


Be creative....

 

[GB]

hate to tell you but my $25K education says its deglazing

There are little bits that add the booze will kick up. while your nit sitting there scrapping becuase the onions and what ever natually dont stick to the pan there isnt much.

It would be great to have a special term adding alchohol to a dish (also helps justify a higher cost per plate) there isnt.

Here it is from epicurious
deglaze Definition in the Food Dictionary at Epicurious.com


ohh BTW for the dish:
You can call it something like
Rummed Onions and Mushrooms (or what ever it was.)
Onions and Mushrooms Sauteed in a Spiced Rum


Be creative....

You should ask for your money back if they didn't teach you about flambe'ing.

Had the OP not mentioned that the alcohol flamed up then you would be correct, but since it did flame then it is not simply deglazing.

 

[GhettoRacingKid]

ohh dont worry they did.

Ive made abanas foster for the wife pretty often. But it is for the front of the house and mostly for the show.

flambé
[flahm-BAY]
French for "flamed" or "flaming," this dramatic method of food presentation consists of sprinkling certain foods with liquor, which, after warming, is ignited just before serving.


So when I make a demi and wine reduction is that a flamebe also?

 

[GB]

So when I make a demi and wine reduction is that a flamebe also?

No because you are not igniting the alcohol. You are only reducing it. The OP ignited it thus flambe.

 

[GhettoRacingKid]

ok bad example.

while it is flambe since it is flaming

it is deglazing and thati s the proper culinary term.

either way it is cool and does add a nice taste

 

[GB]

The OP said he put booze in the pan, it flamed and it tasted good. He never said he scraped up bits from the bottom of the pan and that is where the flavor came from. As far as we know, he poured in the booze and got a flame and did not scrape anything at all. That is not deglazing in my book.

You are right though. It does add a nice taste.

 

[GhettoRacingKid]

but the nature of the items being sauteed dont create a real fond on the bottom of the pan.

you knwo what Im going to look threw all my books but I think in this case it can be used interchangeable.

IMHO I dont care what the technique is called as long as it tastes good. who gives a ____

 

[GB]

IMHO I dont care what the technique is called as long as it tastes good. who gives a ____

I'll raise my glass to that

 

[stupidfab]

but the nature of the items being sauteed dont create a real fond on the bottom of the pan.

you knwo what Im going to look threw all my books but I think in this case it can be used interchangeable.

IMHO I dont care what the technique is called as long as it tastes good. who gives a ____

this is my delima, it can be interchangeable. it can b considered deglazing because im adding alcohol, and this is getting rid of the fond from the bottom of the pan, i can b considered flambeing because it flames up, but it could also be considered a reduction, bc after i add it and it flames up it reduces and cotes the onions and the mushrooms, and adds a little extra to the taste. then all u do is add in some BBQ sauce, and put it over a streak.

 

[GB]

It really comes down to what your intention for adding the booze was. If you were adding it to get the flame and caramelize the the edges of the veggies from the flame then it is flambeing. If you are pouring the booze in to scrape up the fond and it just happens to flame because of the alcohol content then it is deglazing. If you pour the booze in with the intention of of reducing the liquid to concentrate the flavors then it is a reduction. Sure it could be a combination of 2 or all 3 of these techniques, but there generally is an over riding reason why you did it.

 

[waaza]

hate to say, but my free education (from my father, who was a head chef ) says it's flambe, its flamed (intentionally with alcohol) so its flambe, one more time, it's flambe.

Epicurious is right it what it says, adding liquid to [my words...dissolve and suspend] the fonds produced by sauteing [and roasting], is deglazing but it does not mention flames. The flamed alcohol (almost always a spirit) is flamed to add flavour, the deglazing is done to dissolve (and suspend) the fonds, which is the flavour. Flambeing is done during the cooking process, deglazing ('the pan') occurs near the end, prior to gravy making. More alcohol can be added to the gravy, but it is not flamed, and therefore not flambe.

So,

flames (intentional) = flambe, producing a warm glow

flames (unintentional) = a fire, producing red faces