Pan Sauces

[Austin_]

Are there any good guides on making pan sauces? I have an idea in mind, but I think I should learn more about it before I actually start to make one. Thank you. I have to go on a walk right now...I'll be back. :-)

[diane]

I don't think there are any rules for pan gravy. It depends on what you want. I usually rest the meat, put the veg in the bottom of the oven. Use the pea, or other greens cooking water, get stirring with the back of a fork, to get all the stuck bits off. You may wish to spoon some fat out. Or not, depending on how you like it. And how much there is. Maybe you will want to make a slurry to thicken things up a bit. Or maybe you like it a thinner offering. Wine, salt, pepper. I don't use wine, my family don't like it. It is the easiest thing on earth, and the most delish. Pour any escaped juice from the meat into it and there you are. Done

[Austin_]

Ah, sounds pretty simple. I can't wait to try all the pan sauce variations. Thanks for your help.

[foodpump]

Diane hit the nail on the head. Saute your meat, and take it out. THat sticky brown stuff a the bottom of the pan is known as FOND. Take the pan off the heat and add in a liquid: Could be wine, chicken or beef stock, vegetabble stock, what ever you think will go well. Add this in and loosen it up with a wooden spoon. Bring it to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Now you can start to fool around with thickening it....

[Suzanne]

PAN SAUCES ROCK!!!

All good advice above. Although I'm not a fan of using slurries to thicken pan sauces -- I prefer just boiling down ("reducing") the liquid. That thickens it AND intensifies the flavor. It's quick, too, since there's a lot of surface area. But if you want to, it's okay to thicken your sauces with a flour-and-water or cornstarch-and-water slurry or beurre manié (butter and flour mixed together and added in small amounts to the sauce) -- just remember that you then have to cook the sauce more to get rid of the raw flour/cornstarch taste.

What Diane and foodpump have described is referred to as "deglazing the pan" -- when you loosen the flavorful fond (see the quote in my sig line ) and dissolve it in liquid. That's the simplest kind of pan sauce. Two things to remember about doing that:

1. If the stuff in the pan is BURNT, you can't do this, as it will make for a bitter sauce , and
2. You'll want to spoon out or pour out any extra fat in the pan before you start, or else your sauce will be too greasy.

If you want to start getting fancy, before you add the liquid, add a little minced onion and/or garlic and/or shallot to the pan and sauté it until soft and just a little golden. Then add the liquid(s) -- wine first if you're using it, and cook until it has almost completely evaporated ("au sec"), then stock or juice -- scraping and stirring to dissolve the fond. Boil that down until it's a consistency you like, season with salt and pepper, add chopped fresh herbs, and serve.

To get REALLY fancy, after you season it, strain out the solids, return the sauce to the pan or to a clean saucepan or sauté pan, and swirl in bits of butter, a little at a time, to thicken the sauce and give it a lovely shine.

[Austin_]

Looks like I got some great info on pan sauces. It'll be fun fiddling with the various spices, liquids and meats. :-) I can't wait.

[Suzanne]

You've got the right idea: cooking is FUN! Like an edible chemistry set.

[phoebe]

Originally Posted by Suzanne

You've got the right idea: cooking is FUN! Like an edible chemistry set.

Suzanne, I think you have an idea here for a great kid's toy. Instead of those chemistry sets that only created smoke or made things change color, (or set a bratty little sister's hair on fire ) you could put together a set that teaches children (and their parents ) about basic food chemistry, stuff they can apply in their own kitchens. New business venture? Want a partner?