PAN SAUCES FOR CHICKEN

The concept of a pan sauce is simple. The juices that escape from the meat (in this case, chicken) during cooking reduce, caramelize, and sometimes harden. The resulting bits, which are basically caramelized proteins that chefs refer to as fond, provide a concentrated flavor on which to build a sauce.

To release this flavor into a sauce, a liquid is used to wash and dissolve these bits off the bottom of the pan. This process, known as deglazing, can be done with many different liquids, including wine, water, juice, brandy, stock, vinegar, or a combination thereof. The liquid is then boiled and reduced to thicken the sauce. After reducing the liquid, take the pan off the heat and swirl in one or more tablespoons of softened butter to give the sauce added richness and deeper flavor.

If you wish to use butter to thicken a deglazing sauce as well as to enrich its flavor, be sure to observe the following guidelines. The sauce must be slightly syrupy and already well reduced. It takes about 3 tablespoons of butter to thicken 1/3 cup of sauce. Add the butter off the heat and do not return the pan to the heat once the butter has been added; the heat will cause the sauce to separate and thin out. Finally, swirl the pan by the handle, or stir very gently, until the butter is incorporated and the sauce thickened. Note that acidic deglazing sauces—those made with a high proportion of lemon juice, vinegar, or wine—are more stable and thicker than others.