Crayfish Sauce, a Modernist Approach

It’s easy to adapt the above recipe to a modernist approach. If you execute the recipe through step 11, you’ll end up with 2 cups (500 milliliters) of flavorful liquid. Instead of reducing the cooking liquid and finishing it with cream, you would thicken this liquid, at least partially, with a hydrocolloid, such as 0.1% xanthan gum or 0.15% lambda carrageenan. Smaller amounts of cream and/or butter could then be used to give the sauce its characteristic richness without being overbearing. The balance between the two—the amount of cream versus the percentages of hydrocolloids—is for the saucier to determine.