Reduction ad absurdum

wrote on 15 Apr 2006 in rec.food.cooking

Quoted message said:

For the life of me I cannot reduce a sauce within the time a recipe
suggests. Any recipe. Never. I know a healthy simmer, but it just
doesn't cut it. Last night 4 1/2 cups made it down to 4 in 15 minutes.
The recipe suggested it should be 2 1/2 cups. Another 10 minutes got
it down to 3 cups where I just quit. Do recipes really mean boil when
they say simmer?

Okay it's humid down here, but I don't live in a greenhouse. And my G &
T's seem to evaporate too quickly. So what's going on with this
reduction bizness?

Try a larger pan...larger surface area means faster evapouration.

--
-Alan

Quoted message said:

For the life of me I cannot reduce a sauce within the time a recipe
suggests. Any recipe. Never. I know a healthy simmer, but it just
doesn't cut it. Last night 4 1/2 cups made it down to 4 in 15 minutes.
The recipe suggested it should be 2 1/2 cups. Another 10 minutes got
it down to 3 cups where I just quit. Do recipes really mean boil when
they say simmer?

Can't really say, can't see your secret recipe. Some reductions call
for simmer, some can handle a fast boil, but need to see your secret
recipe. Also you may have a wimpy stove and you should be using a
large diameter pot... the greater the surface area the quicker water
can evaporate... most times the fry pan, braisier, or roasting pan the
food was cooked in is used for quick de-glaze-reductions. For
thicker/creamier sauces you need to reduce more slowly, and keep
stirring... who said it's easy...

Sheldon Schvitz

Sheldon said:

Quoted message said:

For the life of me I cannot reduce a sauce within the time a recipe
suggests. Any recipe. Never. I know a healthy simmer, but it just
doesn't cut it. Last night 4 1/2 cups made it down to 4 in 15 minutes.
The recipe suggested it should be 2 1/2 cups. Another 10 minutes got
it down to 3 cups where I just quit. Do recipes really mean boil when
they say simmer?

Can't really say, can't see your secret recipe. Some reductions call
for simmer, some can handle a fast boil, but need to see your secret
recipe. Also you may have a wimpy stove and you should be using a
large diameter pot... the greater the surface area the quicker water
can evaporate... most times the fry pan, braisier, or roasting pan the
food was cooked in is used for quick de-glaze-reductions. For
thicker/creamier sauces you need to reduce more slowly, and keep
stirring... who said it's easy...

Sheldon Schvitz

Lots of sauces; lots of pans. This last sauce, a tomato gravy; the pan,
Farberware 3 qt. The stove, a wimpy electric; but capable of producing
a steady simmer.

Saute; deglaze with
2 strips bacon, diced
1 cup onion, diced
1/2 cup red wine

Add and simmer
14 oz. beef broth
1.5 cups tomatoes, seeded, chopped
1.25 cup ketchup
2 T prepared yellow mustard
2 T brown sugar

Onions and tomatoes may have been slightly over recommended portions,
but the entire mixture equalled 4 1/2 cups in liquid measure. 25
minutes I simmered down to 3 Cups, pushing for 2 1/2. Maybe another 5
minutes would have done it, but that's 30 minutes, double what the
recipe recommended.

Quoted message said:

For the life of me I cannot reduce a sauce within the time a recipe
suggests. Any recipe. Never. I know a healthy simmer, but it just
doesn't cut it. Last night 4 1/2 cups made it down to 4 in 15 minutes.
The recipe suggested it should be 2 1/2 cups. Another 10 minutes got
it down to 3 cups where I just quit. Do recipes really mean boil when
they say simmer?

I think most recipes just say, "reduce," and for me it's a boil unless
there's milk involved. Cream is no problem to boil. It's no big deal
if it takes you longer, once you've learned that and adjusted your meal
timing for it. The main thing is to get the sauce to the taste and
mouthfeel that you're looking for. Just keep tasting and testing.
-aem