Bringing Down the Fat, (in more than one way).

I discussed in the last blog that I had decided to cut a lot of the olive oil and coconut oil out of our diet.  I know that the "health experts" say that both of these oils are healthy, but they are still fat.  I tend to look at them as the lesser of evils, but that doesn't mean they can be used without concern. 

I have started using vegetable broth in place of the fats for high heat roasting of vegetables, stir fries, and any time I am sautéing.  I make a lot of soups, and I always used olive oil or coconut oil to sauté my onions, carrots, and celery at the beginning of my soup recipe, (mirepoix if you want to get fancy pants).  I thought I needed the oil to produce the fond, (the brown stuff that sticks to the bottom of the pan and produces a great amount of the flavor in the soup).



Well, I am here to tell you that the fond will happen even with the lack of oil.  I add a tablespoon or so of the broth at a time.  As it evaporates, the vegetables will start sticking to the bottom of the pan, (producing the fond).  After they have browned a bit, add another tablespoon  of broth, scraping the vegetables from the bottom, as well as the brown part that is stuck to the bottom of the pan.  Keep doing this until the vegetables are softened to the degree that is needed. 

Homemade veggie broth.

The biggest difference between using oil versus using broth is that I need to watch the vegetables a little closer and add additional broth a couple of times when they start sticking too much to the bottom of the pan or skillet.   I could not tell any difference in the taste of the dishes.

Fond:  French for "base" and commonly refers to the browned bits and caramelized drippings of meat and vegetables that are stuck to the bottom of a pan after sautéing or roasting.