Pan-Sauces Culinary Terms

Pan-sauces are an important chapter. Pan-sauces are made just after cooking a protein food using their juices to flavor the sauce.  The pan-sauces technique is usually always the same and that is sear, decanter, degrease, deglaze, wetting, reduce, season, “Monter au Beurre”.

• Sear: To sear is the action to brown food in a small amount of fat on high heat. The idea is to brown the food to crust it in order to retain the juices inside the food. By doing so, some juices will brown and caramelize at the bottom of the pan.
• Decanter: To decanter is the action to move food from one area to another. It is well known by wine experts, as it describes the action to transfer the wine from a bottle to a carafe.
• Degrease: To degrease is the action to remove the fat from some food. In pan-sauce making, it could be by simply throw away the fat in the pan to make the sauce. You may pour the fat in a can, let it solidify and then dispose it as your garbage.
• Deglaze: To deglaze is the action to add liquid in a hot degrease pan where the food has been seared. The idea is to add  small amount of liquids to dissolve the bits of food that might have been attached and caramelized  at the bottom of the pan.
• Wetting: To wet is the action to moisten the sauce by adding some stock related liquids to the food that has been seared in order to extend the sauce.
• Reduce: To reduce is the action to simmer the sauce in order to concentrate the flavors and to thicken the liquid to a sauce consistency.
• Season: To season is the action to add seasoning in order to extract all the flavors and to add flavor to the sauce.
• Monter au Beurre (monter= to go up, to rise ; au beurre=with butter): To Monter au Beurre is the action to slowly whisk or stir in butter to a warm sauce to thicken it and add a butter flavor.