How to Make Pan Sauce

I've often heard the term fond used for the bits at the bottom of the pan. Is sucs the same thing?

Follow this link and you will see Tony's answer to this much asked question. http://rouxbe.com/community/forums/7/topics/462

I decided to apply some of the techniques that I learnt in the "Pan Sauces" lesson. I had tilapia in the fridge. I pan-fried it carefully so that the sucs didn't burn and then made a pan sauce by sauteeing garlic and ginger, de-glazing with sake, and then adding juice of one orange with a half a table-spoon of dark brown sugar whisked into it. As the orange juice simmered, I added a few pieces of serrano chili sliced on the bias to give the sauce a hint of spice but not to make it really spicy. I finished the sauce with cilantro and served the whole dish over white rice.

I was very surprised (pleasantly so) at how good the dish tasted. No flavour dominated. It was a fantastic balance. I took a few photos of the plated dish, with the idea of submitting it to the Rouxbe Test kitchen, but my plates are a flaming red and the photos don't do justice to the taste of the dish. Do I have to have winning photos of my dishes for them to ever make it beyond the Test Kitchen?

Post away Swati. We'll test it out ourselves. Nice work.

Can't wait to try it.

Okay, when I recommended to Mom that she place her cheesecake in a bain marie, I got in hot water ABSOLUTELY NO PUN INTENDED; this is a woman who has been making cheesecakes since before I was born 40+ odd years ago, when I suggested she might modify her pan sauce techniques (getting rid of the BURNED sucs) and perhaps deglazing with something other than stock (although I'm no a huge wine fan, just me it makes me itchy) and then finishing with butter for a beautiful glossy, lovely sauce, I nearly got my petunias kicked out of the kitchen, and trust me I've been a precocious pain in mom's kitchen since she taught me to make her first dessert eons ago. I was too big for my briches; I just wanted to help. Now, I going to mind my own business, love her dearly, and keep it that way! I did however email her a link to this site; it's up to her..?..

My mom would be the same way Julie. One of her many sayings is..."if it ain't broken, don't fix it". You can't blame a girl for tryin' though :-)

I have experimented with pan sauces lately. The main problem for me is during the time it takes for the sauce to form, reduce, emulsify etc, my meat gets cold. I often like to make steaks with a nice creamy cognac pan sauce. This take some time. I have considered placing the steaks in the oven but I am concerned about over cooking them. I have also used a foil wrap. Any suggestions on how to remedy this?

When cooking meats and making sauces it can be tricky to get the right timing. This is one of the reasons why in professional kitchens the "saucier" (the person in charge making and finishing the sauces), is so very important.

Here are a couple of things I do to help myself out. When I make stock, I usually reduce it down quite far (almost to a sauce-like consistency). This helps to speed up the "reduction" stage. You could even do the same thing with your cream sauces, you could have some cream on the side and reduce it by half while the steak is cooking. Then when the steak is done let it rest and proceed with making the sauce. Add the cream in when ready and it should come together much quicker.

If my sauce still seems to be taking longer than I would like, I pop the steaks, or meat into a warm oven (but not until after the meat has rested for a good 5 minutes or so, this will stop the cooking process).

Another thing I sometimes do (depending on what I am serving), is I add the meat back to the pan and coat it in the hot sauce. I let it warm up in the sauce for a minute or so and then serve it.

Whichever way you decide to do it, just make sure your sauce is nice and hot and this should help as well. Also use hot/warm plates and this will keep everything warmer.

Hope this helps, let me know if you have anymore questions. dawn

I routinely cook for vegetarians and would like to make good sauces using the techniques in these videos. I tried carrot- not much on the bottom of the pan, leek- it sticks and hard to control the burning, and turnip- didn't like the flavour. I know onion will make a browning but what other vegetable would also make good sucs and hence a good sauce?

Without meat you will likely have trouble coming up with a rich pan sauce, as pan sauces are really a result of cooking meat in a pan. That being said, you could try mushrooms or caramelized onions for flavor.

You could also just make a sauce using veggie stock, and just thicken it a bit with either cornstarch or roux. Good Luck!

I've always had a problem using stainless steel pans because of all the burning I do... Well needless to say, I have learned that cooking doesn't always take place on high heat :)
Today I made Grilled Chicken and it made the perfect sucs and had the perfect crust! No burned chicken whatsoever. I added mushrooms/garlic/basil to the pan once the chicken was removed, put in some chicken stock and once I lifted the sucs I melted in butter, I put goat cheese on top of the grilled chicken and then the sauce on top, it was delicious and my wife says it is her new favorite. The sauce was so delicious. I wouldn't have been able to do it without learning the proper techniques here first. I checked the pan temp with the water test and I believe that was the real clincher.
Thank you Rouxbe :)

How long can you let sucs stay in a pan before using them. I'm new to this so I have no clue. Could I wait a week or two before deglazing the sucs from the pan?

Sucs are intended to be used directly after pan frying meats for making a pan sauce. There is no need to save sucs longer than this. They are used to add flavor to a sauce.

Enjoyed the lessons and learned a lot. I have used corn starch for years to thicken my sauces. Is there a place for corn starch?

Cornstarch can be used but roux is more common with sauces and gravies. Not only does it add more flavor it also has other advantages (which will be discussed in a future lesson on thickeners).

Cornstarch gives sauces a glossy finish. This is often not desired in sauces or gravies as it can give them an almost artificial look - like they came from a mix or a powder rather than being homemade. That being said, many Asian sauces such as sweet and sour etc...use cornstarch as they are looking for that high gloss finish. For things like pie fillings the shine is also often a good thing, which is why things like cornstarch, arrowroot and tapioca flour are used as thickeners instead of flour.

If using cornstarch, just remember that just like a roux, it must be cooked briefly to cook out the starchy flavor.

Hope this helps!

i occasionally cook for a friend who is gluten intolerant. it might be good to use corn starch when she comes over for dinner. do i just replace cornstarch with the flour?

haha, i mean the other way around! replace the flour with cornstarch?

Yes you can use cornstarch. Simply make a slurry and add at the end of the sauce making process.

For more information, watch the lesson on Braising (topic 8 - last topic) talks about this same thing. Hope this helps!

I was confused by the bit of catching the alcohol on fire. While it looked cool and rather dangerous, I'm not exactly sure what the point was. Is it part of the de-glazing process?

Liquids that contain high levels of alcohol are often flambed to burn off some of the alcohol and its harsh alcohol flavor. This leaves behind the subtle flavor of the liquid.

You don't have to flambe. You can simply let the alcohol simmer and reduce to dissipate most of the harsh alcohol flavors, but this will take longer. Cheers!

Isn't it a fallacy that most of the alcohol is burned off when added to a given dish, at least that is what I was taught when I took a cooking class here in NYC. It gave the different percentages which remained in the dish afterward via different "burn-off methods". They also suggested that, if cooking for children, we substitute something else or leave the alcohol out. True or false?

You are right, Julie; when cooking, it takes a few hours to cook off most of the alcohol.

Here is a quick reference chart for anyone that is interested.

As for leaving the alcohol out when cooking for children, I would have to say this would be a personal choice. I am sure most of the Nonna's out there would leave it in :-) But again this is up to the individual. Cheers!

I know my Nonna definitely kept it in, no matter what. She did not compromise a meal and alcohol was not a forbidden substance in her/our house. It was a matter of growing up and put on the table at dinner. Simple, not withheld.

I get it now! thank you

I just wanted to ask about what wine is good for deglazing... everyone says use white wine but what kind? I rarely drink so can you help me to pick one that would be good for a chicken pan sauce?

The types of liquid you can deglaze with is covered in the "How to Make a Pan Sauce" lesson (topic 4 specifically). There are also a couple of forum discussion on this as well.

http://rouxbe.com/community/forums/21/topics/553?page=1#2167
http://rouxbe.com/community/forums/8/topics/607?page=1#2735

Let us know if this answers your question. Cheers!

Looks like you are adding so many things I'm getting confused as to when. I know this is a me problem and not your teaching.

the confusion is if a sauce asked for all the things you mentioned, (alcohol, vinegar, stock, butter, cream, etc.), when would I add the butter, cream, and stock.

I know I add the most acidic stuff first, then whatever else is on the recipe.

It sounds like you can add the butter or cream, reduce, then add stock and reduce after you added the cream and butter? Really? Doesn't the stock come after the vinegar, and or alcohol? then the butter, then perhaps the cream?

I hope I'm not being annal here, just a bit confused, yet delighted that I now know why my last "pan sauce" was a dismal failure and my kid and husband desperately tried not to laugh out loud at dinner!

Here's how! (means, "Cheers" for us really old folks)

Generally stock is added and reduced before any cream or butter is added (unless of course you were making a cream or butter sauce).

I encourage you to watch the lesson again (that's the beauty of video, you can watch it over and over and each time you may pick up something new). Go through the topics and note the order in which things are added. The topics are layed out in the appropriate order for making a pan sauce. Cheers!

Thanks!

I took notes and taped them inside the cabinet door next to my stove. I am so grateful for these instructions you have no idea and I know I'll never screw up a pan sauce that badly ever again!

What do you mean when you say the sauce will "split" if the butter is too warm?

When a sauce "splits" it means that it has lost its emulsion - the fat and liquid separate. It might be helpful for you to review Topic 4 in the lesson on Salad Dressing & Vinaigrette Basics. Here we talk about emulsions and how they are formed. We also discuss split sauces in the lesson on How to Make a Butter Sauce. Hope this helps!

Hey Rouxbe Staff,

I was just cooking one of your recipes last night that requires a pan sauce, your lamb sirloin recipe. The problem that I have had with pan sauces in this and other recipes, is getting enough sauce for a large group. I'm not sure how to make more sauce for larger groups. Normally I would just increase the amounts but to reach a sauce like consistency the fact is that the water has to be removed. If you could give me advice in this area, as with the above-mentioned recipe was wonderful but left me almost no pan sauce, that would be great.

Michael. First of all, so sorry for the loooong overdue response.

This is a great question. Making pan sauces for larger groups is challenging - one that, like many things in cooking, does take a bit of practice.

For groups of around 8-10, it is best to use more than one pan to pan fry the meat, then deglaze, add stock, reduce, etc. in two separate pans.

For larger groups, you would actually be better off employing a different set of techniques.

Start by searing the meat in one or more pans (depends on quantity). Then deglaze the pan sucs and set this liquid aside. This liquid will add a lot of flavor to the final sauce. However, you will need to use additional stock to increase the quantity. This is the fun part because you can play the artist here a bit where you have to observe, react and adjust using technique. This is a process that professional chefs do everyday in higher volume kitchens.

If you need to increase the sauce, repeat the same procedure from the recipe in a separate pot (in this recipe's case, it was red wine, reduce, then rich chicken stock or demi). Reduce the stock down until you get the desired volume (1- 1.5 ounces per person approx.). If you need to make it darker, you can add some more caramelized bones (see short stock) or caramelized onions to add color (this is the artist part). If the stock is not strong enough, it may need additional reducing, which will mean adding more stock. Then you can thicken it with a roux, slurry or even cornstarch.

Here are a couple of videos you should watch to see how to make larger quantities of sauce:

* Finishing the Sauce for Braising
* Finishing a Pot Roast

The key thing to remember here is that when you need to adjust by adding additional stock, you may need to move away from the pan sauce method for sauce making. Pan sauces are typically reserved for smaller quantities. However, you can still leverage all that great flavor from the sucs by searing and deglazing the meat. You can also play around with the stock reduction by adding ingredients to color and adjust flavor and then, when the flavor is correct, you can thicken with a variety of things.

Hope this helps. Thanks for the great question.
Cheers, Joe

I have a side question about making pan sauces.

When busy making the reductions, which seem like they can take some time when you are reducing multiple liquids (wine, stock, etc.) how do you keep the cooked meat warm enough for serving time?

I always worry that I'll dry it out or over cook it if I put it in an oven.

Keep the meat covered moistened with a bit of the initial, unreduced wine deglazing liquid. As long as it's coated with moisture and covered in a bowl, it won't dry out. When it comes to serving it, simply moisten again with the finished pan sauce right in the pot or pan, but make sure its not boiling in it as this will tighten the muscle and squeeze out some moisture. Simply let it soak in the hot sauce for a few minutes and serve.

Sometimes when I make a pan sauce it ends up with a layer of fat floating on surface. Not nice. I do remove some of the fat after searing the meat if there is too much but the sauce is still sometimes greasy. any tips?

This could be happening for a few reasons:

1) Perhaps you are not removing enough fat from the pan before you start the sauce. You need just enough fat to cook the aromatics.
2) Perhaps the stock you are using is greasy.
3) Perhaps the heat is too high and the higher heat is causing the sauce to boil and split, especially if you are finishing the sauce with butter at the end.

Cheers!

Thanks Dawn. That is helpful. I will remember those tips the next time I make a pan sauce and see what happens.

What is a general rule on when to use regular wine or sherry? I understand that red wines goes better with red meat and white wines with poultry, but what about sherry?

There are really no hard or strict rules when it comes to using wine or sherry. Typically dry sherry is used in cooking and is a bit heavier than white wine but it pairs well with ingredients such as sausage, chicken, cheese, cured meats, olives, nuts, seafood and even lamb or game. Think about the flavors in your dish. Have a taste of the sherry and try to visualize the flavors together and if they would be friends. Usually sherry is used to deglaze or a little at the end to finish so the flavor shouldn't be too overpowering anyway. Hope this helps!

I wanted a quick pesto cream sauce for my ravioli but was lacking a couple of some standard ingredients so I thought I'd wing it. After sauteing the shallots I added and reduced the white wine, I didn't have any chicken stock so I skipped this layer of flavor, nor did I have heavy cream so I substituted half and half. When I brought the sauce to a simmer it broke so I had to through it out.
Not one to be easily discouraged I started over with the shallots and wine but this time I added the pesto then some of the pasta water. Then instead of the half and half I used light sour cream. I was able to bring this sauce to a simmer and it reduced to a the desired consistency.
Why was my first attempt unsuccessful; and if I had used half and half in my second attempt would it have remained stable.

The sauce split because you used half and half. Make sure to choose something that has a minimum of 33% milk fat. In some countries, the fat content can be as high as 48%. If you try and use a light cream or even half and half the low fat content will cause the mixture to split. Cheers!

Hi everyone,
I've been trying to master the pan frying & pan sauces techniques and have hit a few roadblocks.

I do what the videos say, brown shallots/garlic, add some red/white wine (depending on what I'm cooking) reduce, and add beef/chicken stock and reduce, however:

Here are the problems I'm having:

1. When I'm reducing the wine, I can see the water evaporating from the wine, but it obviously won't thicken here. Is this the purpose of reducing the wine? Just to get it more concentrated (with less water, half volume of original)

2. When I add the stocks, I sit and try to reduce it, but again I don't find they thicken at all either. I can evaporate off the water, but that's about it. I was using Campbell's stock for a while, but am now trying other brands (better than boullion, Kitchen basics) but am still struggling here. I don't have time to make my own stocks.....

3. How long after my meat is pan fried should a pan sauce take from start to end roughly (following my technique from above)? Maybe I'm not waiting long enough to let it thicken before I'm giving up?

4. Also, can you reduce on high heat (when time is short) or do you have to do this at a simmer? I feel rushed after the meat is done, so it doesn't get cold...

Thanks for the help, I've been kinda forced to thicken was using flour, which is not ideal since I don't know what else to do. Someone I met mentioned adding in butter at the end to finish, but according to the video, that's just to add some shine/flavour to it, but not thicken the sauce...?

Thanks for the help, there's obviously something I'm missing here. People have been calling my a pro chef at our last dinner party, and I have Rouxbe to thank for that!

Okay lets see what we can do to help you out.

1. You are correct that the purpose of reducing the wine is to evaporate the acids and alcohol and also to concentrate the flavors (as mentioned in Topic 4 around 1:38).

2. When reducing stocks you will generally not have great luck with thickening if they are store-bought. Store-bought stocks generally lack gelatin, which is what allows the sauce to be reduced and thickened. Any good chef/cook will tell you that to make a good pan sauce you should make your own stock. I know it may seem daunting but trust me once you learn to make your own stock and you see how differently it performs and tastes you won't go back. It really takes less time than you might think. Set some time aside one day and just do it (said in the nicest way of course). It takes very little time to assemble and then it just comes down to letting it cook. Then you strain it and store it and voila you will have stock for weeks if not months. If a big batch is too much, try making a smaller batch.

3. I don't think it is the time that is the issue, I think it is the stock you are using. A pan sauce can be made in a very short time if you have a nice gelatinous stock.

4. You can turn the heat up a bit here, just don't get too crazy. Also, if you have added butter or cream to the sauce do not let it boil or the sauce could split.

You also mention finishing with butter...butter can be added to thicken as well as add shine but this is not really the case here as you are not trying to make a butter sauce (which is a whole other lesson) you are trying to make a pan sauce.

I say take the plunge and step over to the other side and make your own stock...you will be amazed at the difference. Cheers!

Hi Dawn,
Thanks for the responses, some comments:

Re #2 - I realized that the Campbell's stuff wasn't good enough, so I did do a bit of reading and picked up the Better than Boullion paste, which I can add a bit of water to control how thick it is... Only thing is that stuff is very strong, 1 tbsp is to be mixed with 2 cups of water, but I don't want so much liquid in my sauce (more work to reduce). I'd ideally like to keep the stock a bit thicker (in the demi glace style) but haven't found the right combo of the paste : water ratio. Have you tried working with any of those stock pastes before? Any tips here?

I'll see if I can find some time over the holidays to try to make stock, I'll have to make room in the freezer to store the leftovers, so I will definitely need a block of time to do all of this and give it a shot.

Thanks for your tips, I'm trying to perfect your lessons on pan sauces before I move on to making a roux / other sauces.

As always, I'm very happy to be a lifetime member, looking forward to growing with you guys.

N.

Before I respond, I just wanted to clarify that making stocks does not require you to clear a block of time on your schedule, nor do you need a lot of room in the freezer. You can buy a few vegetables and some fresh chicken bones and make this happen in about 10 minutes. Then just let is simmer while you are at home doing something else. I know I seem to be harping on making your own stocks, but really trying to make great pan sauces without a good stock is like trying to make a good butter sauce with motor oil. Okay...a bit drastic but you see what I am trying to say right? :-)

Re: the "Better than Bouillon" paste, I really only have one suggestion for you. Try making a short stock. See this comment here called “enhancing store bought stocks” for more infomation. I can't promise you a great end product because there are too many unknown variables, particularly related to the quality of your store-bought product. It might work and produce a fairly good dish, but I'm not familiar with that product nor would I attempt a pan sauce with a store bought product due to the fact that most are overly salty, most (and I stress MOST) cannot be reduced properly (or at all) and most contain more chemicals and additives than I care to have in my cooking.

Best of luck. Looking forward to hearing back from you one day when you try this same dish with your own homemade stock :-) Cheers!

Hey,
It looks my response didn't get saved, so I'll give a shorter response :)

I didn't realize I could make stock with 10 mins of prep, so maybe it's not as bad as I thought it was. I'll look into making it when I'm home one weekend. I didn't realize that store bought stocks didn't have gelatin in it ( not sure why ...) so clearly these won't thicken. Good point!

I'll look into those links you suggested as well, I think the next lesson to try out is the stocks section. I agree that premade is extremely salty which again isn't ideal for reduction.

I'll have to try a little experiment making two pan sauces using homemade vs. store bought stock and I'll post back my results on this thread.

Thanks for helping me out, I couldn't figure this out for the life of me!

N.

Hi guys. Last night I was preparing a quick pan sauce, didn't have white wine on hand so thought I'd use a splash of something else acidic to release the sucs. I tried using a little white wine vinegar and... well... instant flames, fire alarms went off -- something I won't be repeating any time soon. I'm really curious as to why this happened though. Is that stuff really that alcoholic? Why else might it ignite?

Some wine vinegars will have enough alcohol to create flame. But a greasy pan can also ignite if it licks some flame. Remember to always deglaze with pan off the heating element, and having a lid nearby to suffocate any flames helps.

Accidental flaming happens with our pro students all the time. The key: react, don't just stare at the flames! In other words, stay cool.

I just tried making my first sauce after watching the video, and it turned out great! I had chicken and stock in the refrigerator already. I used the ingredients mentioned in an earlier post - ginger, omitted the garlic, de-glazed with white wine, juice of one orange, a tablespoon or so of brown sugar, salt and white pepper to taste, omitted the serrano chili pepper - and it was so good! I am so pleased that I learned this and it is simple to do once you know the steps and know what to look for, such as not burning the sucs and how the sauce should look when you make a line through it. These were great tips and the video makes it easy to remember. I like to make chicken and soup in the crock pot using chicken thighs. The stock comes out delicious and gelatinous, which I understand is necessary for a good sauce. Thank you.

Hi everyone, I have some pan sauce-related questions.

In the videos it was saying that you could use alcohol, stock or even water as the deglazing liquid - if stock is used at this point, does that mean the next step, ie. adding stock, can be skipped (since it was used for the deglazing anyhow) and the sauce is ready for the finishing steps? Or should you add further stock to give the stock body?

I noticed that the videos don't give any specific amounts for the deglazing liquid or the stock. How do you know how much to use?

Finally, I read in another thread that vermouth was good to use for deglazing as it keeps longer than white wine. Anyone know how long vermouth last if kept in the refrigerator? Or is there any other alcohol that keeps for a reasonable amount of time once opened?

Thanks

Even if the deglazing liquid is something other than alcohol (i.e. stock), use enough to lift the sucs off of the pan....then add additional stock. If you do not add additional stock, you will have no sauce so you will need to add more stock in order to reduce and thicken it and build the sauce.

There aren't amounts in the video because you can make a pan sauce for 1 or for 6...it all depends on what and how much you are cooking. Use enough to lift the sucs off of the pan. For 1 person, it can be a couple of tablespoons and for say 4 to 6 people it can be half a cup or more (depending on how strong the deglazing liquid is, etc). It's more important to understand the process of making a pan sauce and then experiment with amounts to suit your tastes. This is how chefs have the freedom to create so many delicious and new sauces.

Dry vermouth is high in alcohol and will keep for several months in a cool place or in the refrigerator. Boxed wines with a spigot also keep for a few months. If you are concerned about the flavor, make sure to taste it before using. Hope this helps! Cheers!

Thanks for clearing that up

Hi, I just made my first real pan sauce. It came out so professional looking! LOL the taste ..... well not so much. but that's what you sometimes get making your own concoction. Any ideas for a simple and tasty sauce for pork chops? I tried using ground mustard and tarragon finished with a little butter and sour cream (looking for more of a cream sauce I think). I don't think I'll submit that variety. But the lesson here was most helpful. I never thought I'd have mine looking like the pros'.

Try using heavy cream instead of sour cream and don't get it too hot.

I know most chefs say use a wine you would drink, but there are so many red wines available today, and it's very confusion for a non-wine person to know which one to use. When making the red wine sauce, what would be a good dry red wine to use? Surely the type of wine and its flavor will have a lot to do with the final taste of the sauce.
Thanks, Dennis

Indeed, it is hard to know and to say exactly which wine to use as there are so many. This is a popular question. In fact, if you search the forum you wil find quite a few discussion on this subject already. There is even one called "Dry Red Wine for Cooking?"

To quote the answer from a similar question:

Good wine will give you good results, and less than quality wine can compromise the dish. Keep in mind it doesn't have to be expensive. With white, a dry wine like a Sauvignon works well, and a dry white Vermouth works even better at a very good price. Vermouth offers complex flavors and keeps well. With red, you have more options. A Beaujolais offers more fruity, gentle flavors, while a Cabernet more tannin and richness. In each case, make sure to evaporate as much alcohol as possible. It is best to add wine in the beginning to a dry pan, always before adding any other liquids such as stock. Rule of thumb is to reduce the wine by at least half.

Hope this helps. Cheers!

Hi, I'm still practicing my pan sauce. Tonight I made an Asian inspired sauce. I used soy sauce, ginger, and garlic (those 2 were dried). I reduced to the right thickness, turned off the heat, plated the dinner and went to put the sauce on the pork chops. I looked and *poof* it wasn't quite pan sauce anymore. It seemed like the sucs coagulated and they were just hard lumps. 8( Any idea what might have happened? I'm wondering if it was because I used soy sauce (that has sugar in it right?)

It depends on the type of soy sauce you used. If it has sugar in it, perhaps the sugar caramelized in the pan, but this is strange if you added stock. The liquid would have had to completely reduce before any sugars would caramelize. If you used straight soy sauce, this could have been the problem. Hope this helps.

Thank you very much. I did use straight soy.

After sautéing a steak I removed it and poured almost all of the fat. I then added the wine, but instead of the nice deglazing that occurs in the video I got a huge splatter. Impressive looking, but made quite a mess! Do you think I left too much fat in the pan? Or am I supposed to let the pan cool somewhat before adding the liquid?

It sounds like your pan was a bit too hot. If time permits and you won't burn any sucs, you can let the pan cool down a bit before deglazing...but a bit of a mess is the nature of cooking. Cheers!

Can spices (such as curry powder) be added to a pan sauce. If so, when? Or is this simply not done. Thanx.

Pan sauces give cooks an opportunity to showcase their flavor-building skills and spices can definitely be added. The spices can be added with the mirepoix and before the pan is deglazed. This will allow them to infuse the liquid once it is added. Just be careful not to burn or scorch the spices though. Whole spices that have been cracked, can also be added to the liquid and can be strained out once the sauce has finished reducing. Experiment with ground and cracked spices and use them sparingly. Most often, they should provide mild flavor notes and not be overbearing to the final sauce. Hope this helps! Cheers!

I find myself wasting alot of money on wine as I only use a small amount for a sauce and then end up throwing the rest away. Even if I buy a small bottle this sometimes happens. Is it possible to use an ice cube tray to freeze the wine and use when required? Or will this ruin the wine?

Yes you can certainly do that, for cooking purposes I do not foresee that freezing the wine will have a negative effect.

Hi everyone !!

Can i freeze the demi glace for future sauce? And how much it can be kept in the freezer? Thank ypu!!!

Hi Lynda,

I can't see why you wouldn't be able to freeze demi-glace, as matter of fact, I believe the video says you can.

Last week I made some chicken stock and wanted various quantities frozen for different uses. I used two jars I had saved just to refrigerate what I knew I would use that week, and I froze two one-litre water bottles for future recipes as well as three of those plastic ice cube bags that allow me to take as much (or as many cubes) as I need for whatever purpose. If you choose to get those ice cube bags, because a recipe might need an exact amout, I suggest you measure out how much liquid each bag holds and calculate the quantity per cube (or is that being too compulsive of me?)

Cheers,
Jim

This is covered in the lesson on the Fundamentals of Making Stock. We always freeze and store stock to make sure we have some on hand at all times. Often you can search for these types of questions in the search bar at the top right of any page to see what Tips/Techniques, Cooking School lessons or forum threads area available to find the answer. Cheers!

Hi, My husband is lactose intolerant so I don't want to add butter or cream to finish the sauce. Is there anything else I could use? Would the lactose free products work? or shortening in place of butter?

If you cannot use butter or cream to finish a sauce then you can simply leave them out. Depending on the sauce, try adding a bit of lemon juice or Dijon mustard.

As far as using the "lactose free products", you could give them a try, but we cannot say how they will work as we have not used them ourselves. As for using "shortening in place of butter", this would not be a good substitute as it will only add fat; whereas the butter also adds flavor. The shortening will also likely make the final sauce greasy. Cheers!

Does deglazing eliminate all of the alcohol?

If you type in "alcohol" in the search bar at the top right of any page, you will find several discussions on this topic, in particular this one. Cheers!

I made a pan sauce yesterday using a cast iron pan and prime sirloin. I was surprised at how good it was. Is cast iron better than stainless for developing sucs? I have read the answer somewhere...Any advise on choice?

Cast iron pans distributes and retains heat better than most other materials due to how dense cast iron is. This makes cast iron an excellent candidate for things like searing, pan frying etc.

Does that make it better than stainless-steel? Some would say yes and that they could not live without their cast iron pans. While others would argue that they are harder to maintain and they are also very heavy. In the end, it's up to you and what you find consistently works best for you. Cheers!

p.s. I have both and I use would have to say that I use my stainless steel pans more often; however, when I am cooking steaks I most often use my cast iron pan.

Why are so many of the cooking terms in french! Didn't anybody else cook back then?

I'm curious how a restaurant kitchen operates with regards to pan sauces. Some where I ready that there is one chef assigned to making all the sauces. How does he get all the sucs he needs to make the sauces.

Much of the world of cooking is still very influence by French chefs. For more information on this you may want to read a bit about Auguste Escoffier and also Marie-Antoine Careme. Any good chef will most certainly know who they both are.

The reason many French words are used is partly because this is the way that things were passed down/along. Also, cooking and the techniques behind them have their own language that makes great sense when you learn them.

Take for instance the term "julienne" - if a chef says to another chef "I need some julienne carrots" the other chef just quickly goes and does it, as he knows exactly what this means...in only a few words and most importantly they are consistent every times. If the chef had to say "I need some carrots that are about 2 inches long and about this wide by this wide" then that would take much longer and they might not always be the same.

Trust me when you work in a busy kitchen the quicker and more clear the communication is the better. Cheers!

Restaurants, at least many of them, in particular higher-end kitchens, have what is called "Brigade de Cuisine" (kitchen brigade). Which by the way was implemented by August Escoffier. One of the positions is "Saucier". The saucier is responsible for all of the sauces (and sauteed dishes).

Sauciers, depending on the restaurant etc., most often have large amounts of highly flavourful and already reduced stocks on hand, for making flavourful sauces. How they are flavoured and made depends on the chef. A good saucier can make or break a good meal. This is part of the reason why the "saucier" position is generally such a sought after position. Cheers!

What difference will it make if I use margarine to finish off a sauce instead of butter? I would rather not use butter to keep it dairy free.

Are there any better non-dairy substitutes?

Thanks.

There is really no substitute for butter in this case. Butter adds flavor and a glossy sheen. Margarine just doesn't compare. It may add a bit of a glossy sheen (or it may just make the sauce greasy) but it won't add the right flavor. I'd say you are better off to leave it out. Cheers!