Techniques
Heat Control
Tip
Beginner
under a minute

Reduce a sauce briefly to thicken and concentrate it

Let the sauce reduce for about 5 minutes to thicken it before blending or serving.

After adding the sauce ingredients, simmer for a short time so excess water cooks off. This helps the sauce become thicker and more cohesive.

The short version

  • A short reduction (about 5 minutes in the video) helps thicken the sauce.

What you need

  • pan

What goes wrong

Skipping reduction so the sauce stays watery

Simmer briefly to reduce before blending/serving.

Why it works

Reduction evaporates water, concentrating flavors and increasing viscosity.

Put it to use

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