pan sauces

use the fond (those little seared bits at the bottom of the pan) and some white wine to make a silky-rich reduction sauce.

i have a steely-love for my pots and pans. i can never really settle in for the evening until i have hand washed them and hung them up to dry. it's not like i have beaucoups, or as we said on the farm, "boo-coo", or that any, except for my 12" all-clad skillet, cost more than a few nickels. but these six or seven nuggets of copper, stainless and cast iron tell the story of my 25-year-history with jim as well as any of our photos do, and the memorable album of meals from these pans are a treasure.

 

when the kitchen windows are open, sometimes a breeze clangs my pots and pans together like wind chimes, and the sound makes me smile. 

these pots and pans taught me to sauté, sear, braise, and blacken. they taught me how not to burn garlic, or butter, or a bechamel sauce . . .

. . . and with them i learned to finish my dishes with the shiny-polish of a pan sauce that has the added benefit of practically cleaning the cooking surface with just a wipe of the dish cloth.

 

a deglazed pan pratically cleans itself.

basic pan sauce ingredients

• 3-4 tablespoons of minced shallots or 1-2 tablespoons of minced garlic

• 1/2 cup of dry wine (red or white depending on the fond source)

• 1/2 cup of broth (beef, chicken, fish, or vegetable)

• fresh herbs

• several tablespoons of butter

directions

1. set the seared meat, chicken, fish, or tofu off on a plate to rest.

2. you may need to add a little olive oil before adding the aromatics to cook them until soft- don't let the fond scorch.

3. add the wine and broth to deglaze the pan.

4. add the fresh herbs and simmer until the liquid is reduced and slightly thickened.

5. whisk in the butter and taste for salt.

6. plate the protein with a starch and some vegetables and drizzle it with the pan sauce.