Broths and Jus

Beginning with the introduction of nouvelle cuisine in the 1970s, chefs looked for ways to eliminate starch thickeners in sauces in order to make them lighter. The technique of reduction to concentrate a sauce has been the most important tool in this effort. Reduction hasn’t been a cure-all, however. First, some of the fresher, lighter flavors of a sauce are lost when a liquid is subjected to the long cooking required for reduction. In addition, reduced sauces sometimes become so gelatinous that they solidify when they cool—not an appetizing result.