Lemon Herb Pan Sauce
This sauce turns a simple pan-seared chicken breast or pork chop into a finished dish. It relies on the residue from your protein to provide the base, so never wash the pan before you start.
Mind the fond
The flavor lives in the browned, crusty bits stuck to the bottom of the pan from searing your meat. If the bits are black and charred, wipe them out, as they will turn your sauce bitter.
- Stainless steel or cast iron skillet
- Whisk
- Tongs
What goes in.
- 1/4 cupdry white wine or chicken stock
- 2 tbspfresh lemon juice
- 3 tbspcold unsalted butter, cubed
- 1 tbspfresh parsley or chives, minced
- 1/2 tsplemon zest
Whisking in the Cold Butter
Always remove the pan from the heat before adding the butter. Adding cold butter to a boiling pan causes it to melt too quickly and prevents the emulsion from holding, resulting in an oily sauce instead of a creamy one.
The method.
Deglaze the pan
Pour the wine or stock into the hot pan immediately after removing the meat. Use a wooden spoon to scrape the bottom vigorously until all brown bits are dissolved.
Reduce the liquid
Increase the heat to medium-high and let the liquid simmer until it reduces by half, leaving only about two tablespoons of concentrated syrup.
Emulsify
Take the pan completely off the heat. Drop in one cube of cold butter and whisk rapidly. As it melts, add the next cube, continuing to whisk until the sauce is opaque and thick.
Finish and serve
Stir in the fresh herbs and lemon zest. Taste and adjust with a pinch of salt if necessary. Spoon immediately over your protein.
Other turns to take.
Caper and Shallot
Sauté one minced shallot in the pan for two minutes before deglazing and add a tablespoon of rinsed capers at the end.
Creamy Mustard
Whisk a teaspoon of Dijon mustard into the liquid during the reduction stage for a sharper bite.
When it doesn't go to plan.
If the sauce looks thin, add one more cube of cold butter and keep whisking.
Do not salt the sauce until the very end; the fond and the stock will already contain salt.
Use a light-colored stainless steel pan if possible; it makes it easier to judge the color of the fond.
The ones that keep coming up.
Why did my sauce separate?
The pan was likely too hot when you added the butter, or you stopped whisking before the butter fully incorporated.
Can I use bottled lemon juice?
Fresh juice provides a brighter acidity that bottled versions lack. Use fresh for the best result.
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