Dishes and side dishes can be enhanced when accompanied by a sauce that compliments their natural taste. Those who don't have time to prepare complicated dressings and recipes can opt for an easy and essential sauce. Learning how to make red wine reduction will add that extra touch to your cooking: it's an easy and full-flavored sauce that can enhance any dish. Often considered an accompanying sauce for red meat, the wine reduction also goes well with fish, poultry, pork and vegetables. Once you know how to make it, you can use it to add it to countless dishes and vary the ingredients to make it versatile.
Ingrediants
- Red wine
- Beef, chicken or vegetable broth
- Butter
- Flour
- salt
- pepper
- Herbs and spices
Steps
Step 1. Melt three tablespoons of butter in a saucepan over medium heat
Step 2. Add 3 tablespoons of flour as soon as the butter is melted
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Cook on medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir while you cook to make sure it doesn't stick and mix well.
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Step 3. Remove the butter and flour from the heat and add a cup of red wine
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Stir the sauce ingredients together before returning it to the heat.
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Step 4. Continue to cook, stirring constantly to remove lumps and make it thicken
Step 5. Taste while continuing to cook until it feels like the alcohol has evaporated
Step 6. Cook the sauce by adding the broth
Step 7. Pour the broth slowly until the reduction takes on a creamy consistency
Step 8. Remove from heat
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Stir adding salt and pepper, then let it cool and thicken for 5 - 10 minutes before serving with meat or vegetables.
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Advice
- Try olive oil instead of butter for a healthier dish.
- Try adding herbs or spices to the reduction. Garlic, paprika and rosemary go well with this recipe.
- Add white or dark sugar to enhance the flavor of your recipe. If you prefer a slightly more acid reduction, add a tablespoon or two of vinegar or lemon juice.
- Once you've mastered the basics, try some variations to find out how you prefer the reduction.
- Red wine reduction with a little sugar for a sweet taste goes well with salmon and tilapia.
- Artichokes are a vegetable that goes very well with the flavor of red wine.
Warnings
- Never cook the reduction at a high temperature. You would get a liquid consistency sauce and it wouldn't be as tasty.
- During the initial steps, be careful not to burn the butter and flour if you want a smooth texture and rich flavor.
- Never use margarine when making red wine reduction. It does not cook as well as butter and does not give flavor.
