The Reduction of Liquid

The heart of every sauce is its flavoursome stock, which is made by reducing home-made meat, poultry or fish broths to a concentrated essence. This liquid ingredient of the sauce - whether it is home-made beef stock, stock made from veal, fish or poultry, or more simply milk or cream-is most important to the final quality and flavour of your finished sauce. It is no secret that French chefs use more liquid in their sauces - almost twice as much - and consequently cook them longer than do most other cooks; and as a result of this concentration and blending of flavours, their sauces are more suave, more transparent, and consequently more delicious.