Nonstick roasting pans

If ‘fond’ is stock, then you’re not saying much. Larousse defines ‘deglazing’ as boiling a liquid with the cooking juices and the sediment left in the pan after any defatting. And goes on to say that the sediment may be cooked first “so that excess juices evaporate and the concentrated sediment caramelizes.”

I submit that, in American usage, ‘fond’ is synomymous with ‘sucs’, not ‘stock’. As James Peterson has explained, “in most cases, the term [‘sucs’] refers to the caramelized juices left on the bottom of the pan before deglazing.” In fact, Chef Peterson–who knows a little about sauces, “clean” and not–says of nonstick: "Nonstick pans, however, are not good for making integral sauces, which involve deglazing; none of the meat juices will adhere to the surface."

I’m sure the goo left on your Silpat is tasty. I’m also confident that it contains a lot of fat, which cannot be separated out, and is therefore less caramelized.

Sorry, I’ll take Chef Peterson’s (and many others’) word for the suitability of nonstick for integral sauces over yours.

The workaround you mentioned is a laborious price to pay for nonstick. The only culinary advantage I can see is that it minimizes risk of pinçage.

‘Pinçage’ is used here as Bocuse uses it, i.e., as overbrowning. But I’m sure you think he’s wrong, too.

Apparently, there is a wide difference of opinion on this “can nonstick roasting pan develop fond?”

I would say just test it on a nonstick fry pan (either borrow one or you already have one). Just test and see if the residue developed on a nonstick fry pan/cookie sheet tastes the same as that from a stainless steel surface cookware.

I personally don’t think it does, but maybe I just don’t know how to use a nonstick pan well.

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If the OP wants to try roasting a chicken in a nonstick frying pan, which is a good way to test results, s/he needs to check the temperature limits for both the interior of the pan, and its handle. Most often, higher than 350F is not an option unless the handle is metal.

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I don’t mind citing authorities who know more about the issue than the both of us. Steaming chicken in a nonstick pan is not a good use of my time or the chicken, thanks.

It was this doctrinaire kind of position that got you into trouble with “Russe”. Better to quit while you’re behind.

:slight_smile: Maybe a little of that, but also maybe the optimal temperature (heat) to get the most favor out of using a nonstick pan vs a using stainless steel pan can be different. That won’t surprise me, and I could have been using the less than optimal temperature/heat.

I’m rather fond of fond, and don’t want to buy a pan based on theoretical workarounds, so I think I will go for the stainless tri-ply roaster.

It’s been an interesting thread. Appreciate the thoughtful replies.

No guru, no method, no teacher…

I like the Demeyere philosophy when it comes to non-stick pans. They only offer a non sick coating on a frying pan. I guess you could stretch it to include a crepe pan, but makes sense to me. Most people just need a non-stick egg pan. Bakeware is a different story, but that’s why I like my unbleached parchment paper and paper muffin cups.

For those who care, here’s my question to Kenji Lopez-Alt and his answer regarding nonstick roasting pans:

“If you don’t mind, I have a cooking/cookware question that I don’t recall reading an answer to in your works. That is: Are non-stick roasting pans equal to other constructions for purposes of forming fond/sucs for deglazing and making integral sauces? It would seem to me (and people like James Peterson) that the hydrophobic nature of these linings would be less than ideal, and that “stickier” linings to which the sucs adhere and dehydrate would generally be superior for browning reactions. What do you think, and why?”

"yes, non-stick is not great for a roasting pan for those reasons! Same as trying to make a pan sauce in a non-stick pan. doesn’t work."

When Harold McGee answers, I’ll post that, too.

Aloha,
Kaleo

Always use a non-stick roastng pan (for ease of cleaning).

Haven’t come across the word “fond” in British English, so am unsure what it actually is. The non-stick has never hindered us making a traditional gravy to go with the roast, if that helps.

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