Quick Pan Sauce with Stock & Cold Butter
Quick pan sauce turns the browned bits left after searing meat, chicken or fish into a glossy sauce. Wine or stock lifts the flavour from the pan, while cold butter gives the sauce body and shine.
Servings
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp pan drippings
- 1 small shallot finely chopped
- 75 ml dry white wine or stock
- 125 ml chicken or beef stock
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard optional
- 20 g cold unsalted butter
- 1 tsp lemon juice optional
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
Instructions
- After cooking meat, pour off excess fat, leaving about 1 tbsp pan drippings and the browned bits in the pan.1 tbsp pan drippings
- Add the shallot and cook for 1–2 minutes over medium heat until softened.1 small shallot
- Pour in the wine or stock and scrape the base of the pan to release the browned bits.75 ml dry white wine or stock
- Add the stock and simmer for 3–5 minutes until reduced by about half.125 ml chicken or beef stock
- Whisk in the Dijon mustard if using, then remove from the heat and swirl in the cold butter.1 tsp Dijon mustard, 20 g cold unsalted butter
- Season with lemon juice, salt and black pepper to balance the sauce.1 tsp lemon juice, ¼ tsp fine sea salt, ¼ tsp black pepper
Chef's notes
- Use the same pan used for searing so the sauce captures the browned flavour.
- If the pan is very dark or bitter, wipe away burnt patches before deglazing.
- Cold butter emulsifies better than softened butter.
- Use chicken stock for poultry, beef stock for steak or pork, and vegetable stock for lighter dishes.
- Serve immediately because pan sauces are best fresh.
Drink pairing
A pan sauce is savoury and concentrated, so pair it with drinks that match the main dish and cut through the butter.
Alcoholic
- Pinot Noir
- Dry Riesling
- Pale ale
Non alcoholic
- Sparkling apple water
- Lemon and thyme soda
- Cold brewed black tea
Nutrition per serving
Calories: 53kcal (3%) | Carbohydrates: 4g (1%) | Protein: 2g (4%) | Fat: 0.5g (1%) | Saturated Fat: 0.1g (1%) | Sodium: 345mg (15%) | Potassium: 132mg (4%) | Fiber: 1g (4%) | Sugar: 2g (2%) | Vitamin A: 4IU | Vitamin B12: 0.1µg (2%) | Vitamin C: 2mg (2%) | Vitamin E: 0.03mg | Vitamin K: 1µg (1%) | Folate: 5µg (1%)
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