Quick Pan Sauces Add a Great Flavor With Little Work:

To become a great home cook often means just doing little things, like a pleasing presentation or cooking what's in season. Making a quick pan sauce is one of the best things little things to do after you've cooked a quick chop, chicken breast, steak, etc. Quick pan sauces take only the amount of time you need to let your meat rest after cooking, and they add a world of flavor.

The key to a successful pan sauce is searing the meat properly. Searing generates wonderfully flavorful bits on the pan, (referred in cooking books as the "fond"), and a great crust on the meat. These bits are then combined with the juices of the meat and a wide variety of possible liquids and flavorings. (For those of you who are interested in the chemistry of cooking, searing involves a chemical reaction known as the Maillard reaction. This describes how flavorful compounds are produced when amino acids and sugars combine in the presence of heat). Contrary to popular belief and many cookbooks, searing does not seal in the juices of the meat. The temperature to which it is cooked solely determines juiciness of the meat.

Searing properly is easy as long as you remember some key points:

1)       Bring the meat to room temperature, if at all possible.

2)       Pat the meat dry.

3)       Choose a stainless steel pan that is large enough to hold the meat comfortably. Do not use a nonstick pan. Also, do not use an aluminum pan, (any pan sauces which have an acidic component will develop an off taste due to the acidic reaction with aluminum).

4)       Add a thin layer of oil or butter/oil combination (butter alone will burn) to a very hot pan. You can tell the temperature is correct, as the oil should be shimmering, but not smoking.

5)       Do not salt the meat until after you have turned it, (salt brings out moisture and if you presalt, you will end up steaming it).

6)       If you are searing small pieces, e.g. chicken or sirloin tips, do not crowd them. If they are crowded, the meat will steam.

7)       Do not turn the meat until after the crust has fully formed on the pan side. It is easy to tell if the crust has formed, as the meat will no longer stick to the pan.

Once the meat is cooked, you can make all sorts of sauces, some quite elaborate. But a quick pan sauce is very easy and allows you to be as imaginative as you like. The steps are as follows:

1)       Remove the meat from the pan when it is done, and put on a platter to rest. Cover loosely with foil. The meat will give off some juices that you will want to add back to the sauce at the end.

2)       Finely chop some garlic, shallots, or mild onions, if you have the time and desire. Often, I just crush a close of garlic, throw it in, and remove it at the end. In the meat pan, which is still on a hot burner, add the garlic or onions for just a moment. Do not allow to burn.

3)       Deglaze the pan with liquid. Deglaze merely means to add liquid to the hot pan you cooked with, and scrape the bottom of the pan with a spoon to get the bits or fond absorbed into the liquid. This will happen almost immediately.

4)       Reduce, or boil off half of the liquid. This does not have to be precise; you can eyeball the amount. This will only take a few minutes.

5)       Add any enrichments or flavorings, taste for salt and pepper, add back the meat juices which have accumulated on the plate, and spoon over the meat.

The fun of pan sauces is the variety of flavors you can use. I've listed some combinations below. In general, though, the liquid added can be stock, juice, or wine. My favorite standard combination is half chicken stock and half dry vermouth. Apple juice, for example, goes very well with pork. Measurements are not strict. One cup of liquid added before reducing will generally produce 2 tablespoons of sauce per serving (if you've cooked enough for 4 people). Enrichments can be herbs, mustard, vinegar, honey, chiles, capers, oriental flavorings, olives, liqueurs, etc

All pan sauces are also improved with some fat whisked in at the end, such as butter, cream, or olive oil. For those of you on a strict low fat diet, pureed vegetables can be substituted. This amount would normally take about 2 T of butter or oil or 4 T of cream. Remember to have fun, try lots of combinations, and taste as you go along.

Starting ideas for pan sauces

                Liquid:                                       Enrichment:

½ cup red wine or vermouth                2 tsp. Dijon mustard

½ cup chicken stock                          2 T. butter

1 cup chicken stock                           4 T mustard

                                                      4 T cream

½ cup light vinegar, e.g. balsamic         1 tsp. crushed rosemary

½ cup chicken stock                           2 T butter

1 cup chicken stock                           3 T apricot preserves

                                                      ½ tsp. curry powder

                                                      3 T cream

1 cup apple cider                                 ¼ cup dried prunes

                                                        2 T cream

¾ cup chicken stock                            ¼ cup chopped olives

¼ cup lemon juice                               2 T butter

½ cup chicken stock                            ¼ cup drained capers

½ cup white wine or vermouth               ¼ cup chopped tomato

                                                        3 T olive oil

1 cup Madeira                                     ¼ cup raisins

                                                         2 T butter

½ cup chicken stock                            2 T sesame oil

½ cup sherry                                      1 tsp. Grated ginger