Making a Sauce

So, we have been talking a helluva lot about deglazing pans to make sauces in past lessons, but unless you really know a thing or two about creating sauces, you’re sh*t out of luck. So, relax, stop palpitating, and listen. I am going to give you a few pointers so that you can make and create sauces that your friends, lovers, and family will want to be bent over and bitch-slapped for.

There really are four basic ingredients to making sauces that sing.  1) Butter or oil to sauté, 2) wine to deglaze, 3) stock or broth, and 4) a butter/flour mixture called a roux. Using this base you can add other ingredients such as spices, vegetables, cream, and even bits of meat to make sauces that are so outstanding, you will orgasm right there in front of the stove while tasting them. Just make sure not to get any orgasm juice in the finished product, I find that it can make the sauce a tad bit bitter.

 

BASIC STEPS TO PREPARING A Sauce

1. Sauté a pungent vegetable or herb such as onion, garlic, shallot, leeks, etc. in oil (I prefer olive oil for sauces) or butter.
2. Once the onions, etc. start to brown and stick to the pan, deglaze the pan with some wine. If you are making a light sauce, use white wine, if you are making a darker sauce you can use a red, Marsala, or even a Sherry wine.
3. As the wine reduces (loses both volume and alcohol), add any vegetables or meat bits that you were planning to add. This can be mushrooms, carrots, broccoli, etc. If you are feeling creative and energetic, I find that puréeing the vegetables gives the sauce the flavor without a “chunky” sensation.
4. Add the stock or broth. If you are making a sauce for red meat, use a red meat stock or broth like beef or lamb, if you are making it for chicken, use a chicken stock or broth. You can also use a vegetable broth for both.
5. Add the spices, cover, and simmer for a few minutes.
6. When all of the flavors have been melded, add the roux. For a simple roux, I dip pats of butter in flour and coat all sides. The rule of thumb is to add equal parts butter, to equal parts flour.
7. Stir, cover, and let simmer until it thickens.

And there you have a basic sauce.

Now, you ask “Well, what the hell? You talked about deglazing the pan after sautéing and pan-roasting in the other lessons. How do I use that, dumb ass?” First of all, don’t you dare call me dumb ass, bitch! Secondly. Pipe the hell down. I was just giving you the basics. We will now talk about how to make a sauce after making your main dishes.

It’s really very simple. After you are done with your sauté or pan-roasting, you simply deglaze the pan with some wine or broth. At this point, you can start at step three.

Also, when you are done braising or roasting, you can use the leftover liquids to make sauces and gravies as well. Simply add some flour and stir until the lumps have been removed. If you are making gravy, add more flour to make it thicker, less if you’re making a simple sauce.

That’s it. That simple. Good luck bitch.