The wonderful world of pan sauces! Just reading this chapter made my mouth water and eager to make a sauce or two of my own. As wonderful and easy it is to make a quick pan sauce after cooking or roasting meats, most of the time I feel too lazy to put forth additional effort to make a sauce. I regret this fact especially after reading Ruhlman's emphasis on the subject. Sometimes getting the meat out of the pan as quickly as possible and starting the pan soaking process feels a little more urgent.
How to Create a Pan Sauce
Creating a pan sauce is a very simple process: after cooking/roasting your meats, your pan has all kinds of great flavorful browned bits stuck to the bottom. This stuff is begging to be used and costs nothing to you; use it!
- Optionally add sliced onions and/or carrots (for sweetness) and let them develop a little color.
- Deglaze the pan with about 1 cup of water (or liquid, such as stock or wine) and bring to a boil. Use a spoon to scrape up all the bits and wait for almost all the water to cook off. At this point, add another cup of liquid.
- Your sauce is waiting for a little something extra now, so add a splash of acid (lemon juice, vinegar, etc), maybe a little butter or cream for richness, soft herbs, just get creative!
- Strain your sauce and you've got a fancy looking sauce for your food with minimal effort.
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