How to make a pan sauce in five minutes

After you sear chicken, pork, steak or mushrooms, the pan holds brown, sticky bits. Do not wash them away. They are concentrated flavour, and with a splash of liquid and a few minutes they become a sauce that makes a plain dinner taste finished.

What you need

• The pan you just cooked in, with its brown bits
• 1 small shallot or a quarter of an onion, finely chopped
• About 120 ml (half a cup) of stock, wine, or water
• 1 tablespoon of cold butter
• Salt, pepper, and something sharp: a squeeze of lemon or a spoon of mustard

The method

Take the cooked meat or vegetables out of the pan and keep them warm on a plate. If more than a tablespoon of fat remains, pour off the extra.

Put the pan over medium heat and add the shallot. Stir for about a minute, until it softens. Do not let it burn; burnt bits make a bitter sauce.

Pour in the liquid. It will hiss and steam. Scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon as it bubbles; the brown bits will lift and dissolve. This is called deglazing, and it is the whole secret.

Let the liquid boil until it has reduced by about half. It should look slightly glossy and coat the back of the spoon.

Take the pan off the heat and stir in the cold butter until it melts into the sauce. Taste it. Add salt and pepper, then a little lemon or mustard to wake it up. Pour any juices from the resting plate back into the pan.

Why each step matters

The shallot adds sweetness. The liquid dissolves flavour that would otherwise be scrubbed into the sink. Reducing concentrates it. Cold butter added off the heat thickens the sauce without splitting it, and the acid at the end balances the richness.

Good to know

Cook meat to the safe temperatures in your local food-safety guidance before making the sauce. If you cook for someone with a dairy allergy, leave out the butter and finish with a spoon of olive oil instead. If you avoid alcohol, use stock or water; the method works the same.