Quick Pan Sauce

Shallot, garlic, stock, mustard and cold butter in the pan you just seared in. Five minutes, and it makes anything look finished.

Serves
4
Active
5 min
Total
5 min

Ingredients

4

Method

  1. Prep a thin film of fat left

    Pour off all but a thin film of fat from the searing pan and set it over medium heat.

  2. Saute 1 min · soft, not coloured

    Add the shallot and cook a minute until soft, then the garlic for about 30 seconds. Do not let the garlic color.

  3. Simmer the pan scraped clean

    Pour in the stock and scrape the pan clean as it bubbles. Every browned bit should lift.

  4. Simmer coats the back of a spoon

    Reduce by about half.

  5. Prep glossy and thickened

    Off the heat, whisk in the mustard, then the cold butter a cube at a time. Off the heat matters: butter added to a boiling sauce splits.

  6. Prep seasoned

    Taste for salt and pepper. Add any juices from the resting meat.

If it's not right

What you seeWhyWhat to do
Split or greasy The butter went in too hot. Off the heat, whisk in a splash of cold stock to bring it back.
Thin Not reduced enough before the butter. Reduce before the butter, never after.
Harsh or bitter The garlic browned, or too much fat was left in the pan. Lower the heat for the garlic, and pour off more fat.

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