Fond

[RPCookin]

I am slightly confused with this word. I have seen it stated several times here on the forum that the term refers to "those tasty brown bits in the bottom of the pan" after frying or roasting something (usually meat). But in cooking school, fond is defined simply as "stock".

In French, as applied to cooking, it is translated as "base, (for sauce)". Thus , by that translation, it could refer to either or both, as both items can be the base ingredient for a sauce, either separately or together.

BTW, I got the translation from this site: http://fr.wordreference.com/fr/en/translation.asp?fren=fond

In general the term refers to "bottom" or "core"


Can anyone shed any more light on the subject?

 

[Andy M.]

Man, are you ever a trouble-maker!

Everybody "knows" fond means the brown bits on the bottom of the pan!

Just to prove it, I'm gonna check my reference books! I'll show you!

Oooops! Well, Whadda you know!


RP:

Very interesting indeed. Everywhere I looked, I found what you found. I guess we've been using the "modern" rather than the classic definition.

I guess we could revert to Emeril's lingo and call the yummies!

 

[Michael in FtW]

Going back to the classic definition of fonds as used by Escoffier, since I assume they still refer to him in cooking schools - fonds is a base, a foundation upon which something else is built. There are 3 forms of fonds, as used by Escoffier in his Guide Culinaire (pub. 1903):

1. Some Consommes - Ordinary or White (Fonds Blancs Ordinaires), consommes clarified for clear soups (Fonds Clarifies), Chichen (Fonds de Volaille), Fish (Fonds de Poisson), Game (Fonds de Gibier).

2. Some Stocks - Brown or Estouffade (Fonds Brun ou Estouffade), Brown Game (Fonds de Gibier Brun), Brown Veal (Fonds de Veau Brun), White Veal or Poultry (Fonds de Veau Blanc et de Volaille).

3. The material in the bottom of the baking, roasting or dripping pan which is "swashed and scraped" (deglazed) with a liquid such as water, wine, brandy or stock. This material, "... represents a portion of the esential principles of the roast fallen from it in the process of cooking." - Escoffier. These are Le Fonds de Braise.

So, it would seem that in modern cookery it is easier to just say consumme or stock than to always refer to it in it's place in cooking - a fond, or base upon which something else will be built. Le Fondes de Braise was probably just shortened to Fond and left alone because fond is easier to say than, "those tasty brown bits in the bottom of the pan"?

 

[ironchef]

Cooking, like in most everything else, is subject to evolution and changes. Some of what people were doing 10, 20, 30, 100, 1000 years ago no longer applies today in contemporary cooking. Think of the terms just as you would food. If everyone just stuck to the basics as Escoffier and others intended, creativity would be at a standstill and people would still be eating veloute with their seafood, which IMO, is pretty disgusting.

 

[Michael in FtW]

In my best Tim Allen primal grunt voice I say, "Eeehhhh?" and wonder what the codification of cooking terms and techniques has to do with 'veloute on seafood' - which would be a recipe.