HERB PAN SAUCE
About ⅔ cup
A bright and lively sauce for beef, lamb, pork, or chicken. This sauce can also be made without pan drippings, in which case, cook the shallots first in oil or butter.
After pan-frying steaks, lamb chops, pork chops, or chicken pieces, transfer them to a platter and keep warm. Pour off most of the excess fat and set the pan over medium heat. Add:
- ½ cup minced onion or shallot
Cook, stirring, until softened but not browned. Increase the heat to medium-high and add:
- ⅔ cup dry white or red wine, hard cider, or chicken stock or broth
Stir with a wooden spoon to loosen and dissolve any browned bits, then bring to a boil and add:
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice, white wine vinegar, or Cognac, or to taste
- (4 teaspoons Dijon mustard)
- (1 bay leaf)
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly reduced and thickened, 1 to 2 minutes. If desired, add and cook until reduced by about half, 1 to 2 minutes:
- (½ cup heavy cream)
Take off the heat and swirl in bit by bit:
- 1 ½ teaspoons butter
Remove the bay leaf, if used, or, for a perfectly smooth sauce, strain it through a fine-mesh sieve. Stir in:
- 2 tablespoons minced herbs such as parsley, tarragon, thyme, or a combination
Spoon the sauce over the meat and garnish with:
- Minced fresh herbs