Sauce Secrets

Deglazing—Adding liquids to a skillet in order to scrape off the bits left in the pan after pan-frying. Have the skillet really hot and expect bubbling up and sizzling—keys to loosening the particles.

Reducing sauce—Boiling to evaporate liquid ingredients to thicken sauce and concentrate flavor. Look for the sauce to coat a spoon. Measure only if a specific amount is given. For example: reduce mixture to 1⁄2 cup.

Mounting the sauce—Adding cold butter to add a creamy consistency and richness to the sauce. Make sure to pull the skillet off the burner. Left on, the butter melts too quickly, fat and whey separate, and the sauce is oily rather than creamy.

Photo: Piccata Sauce