Simple Reduction Sauce Food

EASY BLUEBERRY SAUCE

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch and salt. Gradually whisk in water until smooth. Add blueberries, lemon zest and juice; bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Cook and stir until thickened, 2-3 minutes (some berries will remain whole). Serve warm or chilled over ice cream.

RED WINE REDUCTION SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook shallot in hot oil until golden brown, about 5 minutes.
• Pour wine into saucepan; cook, stirring regularly, until reduced in volume by half, 3 to 4 minutes.
• Stir beef broth with the wine. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook at a simmer until slightly reduced, about 5 minutes. Stir butter and Italian seasoning into the sauce; cook until butter is completely melted, 2 to 3 minutes. Season with salt.

BASIC REDUCTION SAUCE

Steps:

• Remove the roast and pour off all but 1 or 2 tablespoons of the cooking fat (if there are nonfatty juices in the skillet or roasting pan, leave them there). Place the roasting pan over high heat. (Use two burners if the pan is large.) Add the shallot and cook, stirring, until it softens, about 1 minute.
• Add the liquid and cook, stirring and scraping to loosen the brown bits at the bottom of the pan. Allow the liquid to boil for about 5 minutes, or until about a third of it evaporates. (This is a good time to carve the meat; the boiling liquid needs only occasional stirring.)
• Turn the heat to medium-low and add the butter or oil, a little at a time, stirring well after each addition. Taste and season if necessary with salt and pepper, then serve with the meat.

SIMPLE REDUCTION SAUCE

Steps:

• Remove the meat from the pan. Cover with foil to rest.
• Add the oil or bacon fat to the hot pan, if needed, along with the shallot and wine.
• Cook, scraping the bottom of the pan, until all the fond is released and the shallot is soft.
• Continue to cook until the wine is well reduced. The mixture should be very syrupy and thick, and there should be no more than ¼ cup left in the pan.
• Add the stock and simmer again until reduced by at least half.
• Remove from the heat and taste for seasoning. Do not season before reducing, because your sauce will be too salty.
• Add a little salt and/or pepper if needed.
• Swirl in the butter, a bit at a time. Adding this fat is an optional step, but it helps to make the sauce silky and tends to round out the flavors.
• Swirl in the herbs right before serving.

BALSAMIC REDUCTION SAUCE

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, combine vinegar and sugar. Bring to a boil.
• Reduce heat to medium-low, stirring occasionally and simmer 20-30 minutes.
• Remove from heat and let sauce thicken as it cools.

STRAWBERRY REDUCTION SAUCE

Steps:

• Place all ingredients in a pot on low heat.
• Stir and let simmer for 5 minute.
• Repeat step 2 until sauce begins to steam.
• Turn heat to medium and stir.
• For a light sauce you want about 1 inch of sauce in the pot.
• For a thick sauce you want 1/2 inch of sauce in the pot.
• Drizzle over anything while the sauce is still hot.

BASIC TOMATO SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a pan and add the vegetables and bay leaf. Stir in the sugar with some salt. Gently cook for 10-15 mins until the veg is tender. Stir in the tomatoes and 150ml water. Simmer very gently for 30 mins until the sauce has reduced by two-thirds and is very thick. (If you have doubled or tripled the quantities, this may take up to 1 hr.)
• Stir occasionally, particularly towards the end of the cooking time, so that the sauce doesn't catch on the bottom. If you like your sauce a little thinner, add a splash of water. Serve half with pasta and chill or freeze other half in 1-2 batches for later use (see 'Goes well with' for ideas of how to use up your sauce).

DEMI-GLACE OR SEMI-DEMI-GLACE (SIMPLE REDUCTION AND 2 CHEATS)

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, bring stock to a boil.
• Turn heat down to the lowest heat setting and allow to simmer for several hours until stock has reduced to 1-2 cups (remove any scum that rises to the surface as it simmers).
• It has reduced to demi-glace if it thoroughly coats the back of the spoon.
• *It's not as good as the homemade stock, but a good quality canned beef consommé can be used as a shortcut substitution. Reduce by half in the same way.
• **In a real pinch 2 teaspoons beef base can be dissolved in 2 tablespoons red wine as a substitute for demi-glace.