A French term used in culinary parlance for "stock." There are three primary fonds in classic French cooking: fond blanc ("white stock"), made from veal and poultry meat and bones and vegetables; fond brun ("brown stock"), made with browned beef, veal and poultry meat and bones and vegetables; and fond de vegetal ("vegetable stock"), made with butter-sautéed vegetables. See also fumet. 2. The term fond also refers to the browned bits of food remaining in the pan after food has been sautéed or roasted. This fond is typically incorporated into a sauce by deglazingadding a small amount of liquid to the pan and stirring to loosen the bits of food.
From The Food Lover's Companion, Fourth edition by Sharon Tyler Herbst and Ron Herbst. Copyright © 2007, 2001, 1995, 1990 by Barron's Educational Series, Inc.