Deglaze

To deglaze is to add liquid to a hot pan after browning food in it, then scrape up the browned bits stuck to the bottom so they dissolve into the liquid.

Those bits are concentrated flavour from the meat or vegetables, and deglazing is how they end up in the sauce rather than in the washing-up. Wine, stock, cider, vinegar or plain water all work. Lift the food out, pour off most of the fat if there is a lot, then add a splash of liquid. It will hiss and steam. Scrape the base with a wooden spoon or spatula while it bubbles.

From there you can let it reduce for a quick pan sauce, perhaps with a knob of butter or a spoonful of mustard stirred in at the end, or carry on with a braise or stew.

The brown bits should be brown, not black. If they have burnt, deglazing will spread the bitterness, so wipe the pan out and start the sauce fresh.

The word is the same in British and American English.