Pan sauces, unlike the emulsified branch of the sauce family, have a forgiving nature. If the sauce is too thin, it can either be reduced further or thickened with a starch. Or maybe the sauce has been reduced so much, it needs loosening up. Just correct the consistency with a tablespoon or two of water or other liquid.
The foundation of pan sauces are the crusty juices that form on the bottom of the pan when food is browned, sauteed or roasted. Here’s how to construct an elegant sauce, step by step, whether it’s turkey or foods such as chops or seafood.
Saute: Meats should first be patted with paper towels to absorb excess moisture. Choose a heavy-bottomed saute or frying pan.
Heat the pan over medium to medium-high heat. (Some burners are hotter than others, so adjust the heat accordingly.) Add the oil or other fat called for in the recipe. When hot, add food and cook without moving until a crust is formed, which should release easily from the pan. Then turn and finish cooking. The food should be a rich brown, but should not blacken.
Degrease: After sauteing and removing meat from pan, pour off the fat. (If aromatics are going to be added, a thin glaze of fat can be left on the bottom of the pan.)
Deglaze: After degreasing pan, put it back on the heat. Now add aromatics such as minced garlic and shallot, or a mirepoix — a tiny dice of carrot, celery and onion. Saute about 30 seconds. Pour liquid into the pan; it should come to a boil quickly. Use a spatula to loosen the browned juices, which become the bridge between the meat and sauce, adding lots of flavor and rich color.
Deglazing liquids can be wine, broth or stock, or even water, which can be used in combination or alone. For instance, add a small amount of wine to deglaze the pan, then add stock or another liquid.
Use a good stock or broth, preferably homemade. But even canned broth can be made richer and more flavorful by simmering for 30 to 45 minutes with aromatics such as onion, garlic, carrot and celery.
Reduce: The deglazing liquid is cooked down by at least half, which concentrates the flavor and thickens the sauce. As the liquid cooks down, it will become saltier, so season the sauce after it has reduced.
Get a jump on the process by preparing reductions in advance — a time-saver for quick-to-fix dishes. Reduce stock or wine by half, or cream by about a third, and store in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Bind or thicken: Pan sauces are thickened most often by reduction. But when a lot of liquid is added, as for the gravy made from the drippings of turkey, one of the following binders may help:
Beurre manie: With a fork, blend until smooth 1 tablespoon each of softened, unsalted butter and flour for each cup liquid. Add slowly to the simmering sauce, whisking until smooth, and simmer about 5 minutes.
Slurries: These are made with a starch and cold water and are sauce savers that have differing qualities and cooking times.
Flour paste: Whisk together about 3 times the amount of cold water to flour until smooth. Then pour a little at a time into the sauce, whisking constantly. Add just enough to thicken the liquid. Simmer 3 to 5 minutes.
Cornstarch: Transparent sauces, much like those used in Chinese cooking, are the result when cornstarch is used. For every cup of sauce, dissolve about 1 to 2 teaspoons in twice the amount of cold water. Add to the hot, simmering liquid in pan, whisking constantly to avoid lumps. Cook about 2 minutes.
Arrowroot: Dissolve 1 to 2 teaspoons in twice the amount of cold water to thicken a cup of liquid. Arrowroot does not need to be cooked to remove its raw flavor and will begin to thicken immediately. Simmer about 1 minute.
You may be taking a chance with arrowroot, or any starch, that’s been pushed to the back of your cupboard for several years, as its thickening ability will weaken with age. It’s a good idea to date the packaging when purchased so you’ll have a fresh batch on hand when needed.
Sauces can be strained after reducing and thickening for smooth, elegant preparations. But many benefit from the texture given by aromatics, vegetables and herbs. In fact, vegetable or even fruit purees can also be used to thicken sauces. These purees “also contribute flavor, whereas plain starch does not,” writes Peterson. “Some purees, such as those made with tomato or green vegetables, contain so little starch that they thicken a sauce simply by adding a large bulk of fine solid particles to a liquid medium,” he continues. When left to sit, the sauces may separate, but can be pulled back together by whisking.
Finishes: Some wonderful demi-glaces, which are stocks that have been reduced to a concentrated gel-like paste, are available in many supermarkets. A teaspoon added to the finished sauce can add color, flavor and richness. The juices that have gathered around the cooked meat can also be put into the sauce and simmered briefly to thicken.
For a glossy sheen and velvety finish, about 1 tablespoon cold, unsalted butter can be swirled into 1 cup sauce. On medium-low heat, whisk in small pieces at a time, swirling the pan in a circular motion. When melted, add another bit of butter. Remove pan from heat before the last piece of butter has melted completely.
Sources: Sauces: Classical and Contemporary Sauce Making (John Wiley, 1998) by James Peterson; A Fresh Look at Saucing Foods (Pearson Addison Wesley, 1995) by Deirdre Davis; Joy of Cooking (Plume, 1997) by Irma S. Rombauer and Marion Rombauer Becker.
ENTREE
SAUTEED PORK CHOPS WITH APRICOT-WILD MUSHROOM SAUCE
Notice that chops must be brined two hours before finishing recipe.
1/2 cup kosher salt
4 1/2 cups water
4 boneless pork loin chops, about 3/4-inch thick
2 teaspoons lapsang souchong tea leaves (2 tea bags)
1/2 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
1/2 cup rich chicken broth, heated
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons apricot preserves
3 tablespoons flour
1/8 teaspoon plus 1/4 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
About 2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium clove garlic, peeled and minced
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon coarse-chopped Italian parsley
Combine salt and 4 cups water in a large bowl; stirring to dissolve the salt. (Kosher salt dissolves more quickly than table salt.) Add chops to this brine. Place a small plate on top of the pork itself (fits inside rim of bowl) to keep the chops submerged (may have to put weight on plate). Refrigerate 2 hours or longer.
Bring 1/2 cup water to a boil. Pour over tea leaves and let steep 5 minutes. Rinse dried mushrooms briefly to flush away dirt and put into a bowl. Strain tea over mushrooms; stir in hot chicken broth. Set aside 25 minutes, or until mushrooms soften. Strain, reserving mushrooms and broth separately.
Whisk apricot preserves into the mushroom broth; set aside. Squeeze excess moisture out of mushrooms, chop coarsely and set aside.
Drain pork chops. Place on a plate lined with several paper towels, top with more paper towels and pat lightly to absorb excess moisture. Heat a heavy 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Dredge pork in flour and sprinkle with 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Add 1 tablespoon oil to pan and heat. Put 2 to 4 chops into pan and cook without moving 4 minutes. Turn and cook 4 minutes longer, or until cooked through, adding oil as needed. Remove chops to a warm oven. If all of chops didn’t fit in the pan, this may have to be done in batches.
Put mushrooms and garlic into pan, stirring 30 seconds. Deglaze pan with mushroom liquid mixture, stirring to loosen browned juices on bottom of pan. Cook at a high simmer 3 to 4 minutes. Pour any juices that have accumulated around pork into pan with lemon juice. Continue to simmer 2 minutes, or until lightly thickened. Season with 1/4 teaspoon pepper and pour over chops. Dust with parsley and serve. Makes 4 servings.
Per serving: 317 calories, 40 percent calories from fat, 14 grams total fat, 73 milligrams cholesterol, 3 grams saturated fat, 30 grams protein, 17 grams carbohydrates, 478 milligrams sodium.
Adapted by CeCe Sullivan of The Seattle Times from Eat Tea: A New Approach to Flavoring Contemporary and Traditional Dishes (Lyons, 2001) by Joanna Pruess with John Harney.
ENTREE
CHICKEN IN MARENGO SAUCE
4 large chicken thighs with skin
3 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/8 teaspoon salt
Fresh-ground black pepper, to taste
1/4 pound cremini or shiitake mushrooms, trimmed, cleaned and sliced
1/4 cup fine-minced shallots
1 small clove garlic, peeled and minced
1/2 cup dry white wine or reduced-sodium and fat chicken broth
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can peeled and diced tomatoes, undrained
1/3 cup water or chicken broth
1/4 pound mixed olives, pitted
2 tablespoons fine-chopped Italian parsley
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Either remove skin from chicken completely, or trim excess skin and fat from the underside of the thighs. Dredge in flour, shake off the excess and set aside. Reserve 1 teaspoon of the flour.
Heat a nonreactive 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Pour oil into pan. When hot, place chicken skin-side down about 4 minutes until browned well. Turn and cook another 4 minutes. Transfer chicken to a small baking pan and season with salt and pepper. Place in oven and bake 20 minutes, or until cooked through.
Meanwhile, place skillet back on medium-high heat. Put mushrooms, shallots and garlic into pan and stir 1 minute. Deglaze pan with wine or broth, scraping up the brown bits on the bottom. Whisk the reserved teaspoon flour into a little of the juice of the tomatoes. Pour tomatoes with juices, water or broth and flour mixture into pan and bring to a boil, stirring well. Reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes.
Put olives into sauce and simmer 5 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary. Stir in parsley. The sauce can be spooned over the whole pieces of chicken. Or slice the chicken from the bone, put back into the sauce and simmer gently for a few minutes to blend the flavors. Makes 4 servings.
Per serving (with skin): 371 calories, 58 percent calories from fat, 24 grams total fat, 70 milligrams cholesterol, 24 grams saturated fat, 22 grams protein, 15 grams carbohydrates, 1,055 milligrams sodium.
Per serving (without skin): 318 calories, 54 percent calories from fat, 19 grams total fat, 59 milligrams cholesterol, 3 grams saturated fat, 19 grams protein, 15 grams carbohydrates, 1,048 milligrams sodium.
Adapted by CeCe Sullivan of The Seattle Times from Sauces: Classical and Contemporary Sauce Making (John Wiley, 1998) by James Peterson.
ENTREE
SAUTEED SCALLOPS WITH SAFFRON-LEMON SAUCE
1/2 cup bottled clam juice or fish stock
1/2 teaspoon saffron threads
3/4 teaspoon arrowroot
1 tablespoon water
1/2 cup fat-free half-and-half
4 teaspoons olive oil
1 1/3 pounds bay scallops
2 teaspoons fine-minced shallots
1 teaspoon fine-minced garlic
1/4 cup fine-chopped red bell peppers
1/3 cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
Fresh-ground black pepper, to taste
1 teaspoon fine-grated lemon zest
4 small fresh basil leaves, stemmed and cut into slivers
Combine clam juice and saffron threads; set aside. Dissolve arrowroot in water and whisk in half-and-half until smooth; set aside.
Heat a nonreactive 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Put 2 teaspoons olive oil into pan and heat. Add half the scallops and quickly saute about 2 minutes, or until just cooked through. Remove from the pan and set aside. Repeat with remaining 2 teaspoons olive oil and scallops.
Once all scallops have been removed, put shallots, garlic and bell peppers into the pan and stir 30 seconds. Deglaze pan with wine, scraping up the browned bits on the bottom. Boil until reduced by half. Pour clam juice mixture into pan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cook at a high simmer 3 minutes. Pour any juices that have gathered around the scallops into the pan; simmer 1 minute.
Remove pan from heat; reduce heat to medium-low. Spoon some of the hot liquid into the half-and-half mixture, mixing well. Then pour back into sauce, place pan back on heat and simmer until lightly thickened. Stir in lemon juice; season with salt and pepper.
Add scallops, lemon zest and basil to sauce. Stir until scallops are lightly coated and heated through. Serve immediately. Makes 4 servings.
Per serving: 194 calories, 27 percent calories from fat, 6 grams total fat, 49 milligrams cholesterol, .78 gram saturated fat, 25 grams protein, 10 grams carbohydrates, .29 gram total fiber, 496 milligrams sodium.
Adapted by CeCe Sullivan of The Seattle Times.
