Cooking Is Easy's
"Idea Starters" for Saute with quick pan sauce
Follow this simple Cooking Is Easy method to make a great entree with any boneless cut of meat, chicken, or fish.
Basic steps:
- Boneless chicken breast, chicken thigh, pork chop, fish fillet
- flour
- olive oil
- salt and pepper
For pan sauce
- 1/4 C wine
- 1/4 cup stock
- 1 Tbsp butter or 2 Tbs cream
- Dried or Fresh herbs
Heat a skillet. It should be large enough to hold the meat with only a little space between each piece. They should not be touching. (For larger meals cook in batches.)
Note: let skillet heat up on med, gradually. Turn up to med-high a minute before cooking.
Season meat with salt and pepper, and dredge in flour
Add oil to skillet and turn up to med-high. Wait a minute to heat oil
Lay meat in skillet and cook about 3 minutes on each side. Turn only once.
When meat is done on both sides, remove to a plate and cover with tin foil to keep warm
Now, let's make a pan sauce.
For a basic pan sauce, add 1/2 cup liquid to hot skillet. You can use a blend of wine and stock, or substitute balsamic vinegar or citrus for the wine. As the liquid hits the pan you'll hear a sizzle. Scrape the bottom to scrape up bits of meat, fat, cooked flour etc. Let this liquid heat and reduce. It will take 3 - 5 minutes. It will reduce by half. When it's reduced, add butter or cream and stir a minute to thicken. Return meat to pan and coat with the sauce. Serve and top meat with pan sauce.
Now, let's add some things to the basic pan sauce.
Jumping in to the above pan sauce method, we can add some things to the oil before adding the liquid. Chopped onions, minced garlic, chopped shallots all will add flavor to the sauce. Add these after removing the meat. If the pan is dry and you need a little more oil add it. Saute the onion or shallot until soft, about 2-3 minutes. Only give galic about one minute and don't let it brown. You could also add mushrooms, dried fruit, or sundried tomatoes to this. When everything is softened, add the liquid and proceed with the basic dish.
Now for some pan sauce ideas.
Basic formula:
Let's break down the basic formula for a pan sauce so you get a better idea how to create combinations of your own.
- A combination of stock and wine or vinegar,
- herbs, dried add at the beginning, fresh add right at the end
- flavor items like onions or mushrooms we add them before the liquid.
- Finish with cream or butter.
- additional flavors dijon mustard, chutney, brown sugar,
For 2-4 fillets, 1/2 C liquid total is plenty, and 1 pat of butter or 2 Tbs cream.
Good pan sauce combinatiions:
- chicken stock
- dry white wine
- fresh or dried tyme
- butter
- garlic
- cherry tomatoes, cut in half
- chicken stock
- cooking sherry
- cream
- shallot
- port wine (use full 1/2 C, no stock)
- 1 tsp brown sugar
- dried cherries or raisins
- butter
- chicken stock
- red wine
- dijon mustard 1 tsp
- butter
Over boneless chicken thighs and you have "Chicken Marsala"
- garlic
- mushrooms
- chicken stock
- marsala wine
- butter
With boneless chicken breasts you have "Chicken Piccata"
- garlic and capers
- chicken stock
- dry white wine
- lemon slices
- butter
- garlic
- 3 anchovies
- 2 Tbsp black olives chopped
- crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 Tbsp tomato paste
- chicken stock ( may need a little extra liquid)
- dry red wine
- olive oil (no butter)
- Orange juice
- dijon mustard
- chicken stock
- butter
Try this with a sirloin patty and it resembles Salsbury Steak
You still need to dredge the patty in flour
- chopped onions
- mushrooms
- beef stock
- dry vermouth
- cream 1/4 C
I'll end with a list of items you can combine to make your own creations
stock:
- chicken stock
- beef stock
Acidic or wine component:
- red or white wine
- sherry
- vermouth
- port wine
- marsala wine
- wine vinegar
- balsamic vinegar
- orange juice
Additional Ingredients:
- Onions
- shallot
- garlic
- mushrooms
- sun dried tomatoes
- dried fruit, cherries, raisins, etc
- fresh tomatoes, chopped
- 1/4 C canned chopped tomatoes
- seedless grapes
- olives
- capers
- anchovies
Additional Flavorings:
- dijon mustard
- chutney
- brown sugar
- orange or lemon zest
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