I know I'm repetitious, but ALWAYS assess your sauce before you add salt. Most often it's not even necessary
Now that you know the technique for preparing a pan sauce. here are some sauce ideas and the pairings with the main item.
Keep in mind, adding cream to a sauce will help to stabilize it.
When finishing with butter, resist the urge to boil it again as it may break. It should be swirled in at the last moment before service.
First, three sauces that may be used for Beef, chicken, pork and even fish!
Wine and Butter sauces:
Beurre Blanc
Beurre Rouge and
Lemon Beurre Blanc
Beurre Blanc: Sauté shallots in butter. Deglaze with white wine. reduce until syrupy and add cream, reduce. Remove from heat and whisk in cold butter pats. Assess seasoning. After the butter is in, you cannot return this sauce to the heat as it will break.
Beurre Rouge: Same procedure using red wine rather than white.
Lemon Beurre Blanc: Sauté shallots in butter, deglaze with white wine and the juice of ½ a lemon. Reduce to au sec and add cream. Reduce to nappé and finish with cold butter.
Marsala: Shallots, mushrooms, Marsala wine, chicken stock. Add with cream if desired, reduce to nappé and finish with butter
Piccata: Shallots, white wine, chicken stock, capers, lemon juice, minced parsley. Finish with butter
Balsamic: Shallots, balsamic vinegar, chicken stock, honey, minced rosemary or thyme. Thicken by reduction.
Lemon Herb: Saute shallots in butter. Deglaze the pan with juice of ½ a lemon. Add white wine and 1 tsp Dijon Mustard. reduce to au sec and add chicken stock. Reduce to nappé and finish with butter.
Mustard Cream: Shallots, vermouth (may be substituted with red wine or sherry), chicken stock, whole grain or Dijon mustard, cream.
Grape: Shallots, halved grapes, red wine, chicken stock, minced tarragon. Finish with cold butter.
Cherry Port: Shallots, port(may be substituted with red wine or sherry) , chicken stock, cherries, minced thyme. Finish with cold butter.
Mushroom: Shallots, mushrooms, red wine or Madeira, beef stock. May be finished with cold butter or cream, reduced and finished with butter.
Mushroom II: Sauté sliced mushrooms in butter, set aside. Sauté shallots and mushroom trimmings and fresh thyme in butter. Deglaze with red wine, add beef stock and reduce to nappé. Add in sautéed mushrooms and finish with butter.
Robert Sauce: fine diced onion sautéed in clarified butter, degalze with a dry white wine (Sauvignon), fortified beef stock and 1 tsp dry mustard (dissolved in a tblsp of water). Reduce and finish with butter.
Soy Ginger: Garlic, ginger, sherry, chicken or beef stock, honey, soy sauce, sesame oil, diced green onions. This is a finished sauce.
Madeira: shallots, fresh thyme, cracked peppercorns (or course pepper), deglaze with Madeira, and beef stock. Reduce and finish with butter.
Veracruz: Garlic, white wine, chicken stock, diced tomatoes, sliced olives, chopped cilantro. Finish with cold butter.
Orange Ginger: Ginger, orange juice (use like wine), chicken stock, soy sauce, sesame oil, Reduce. This is a finished sauce.