Tuesday's Tip ~ Making a Reduction

The desired consistency of a reduction should be a little thicker than

syrup and thinner than honey. Not only will the liquid that you are

reducing thicken as it reduces in volume, but its flavor concentrates

will also produce a rather sweet finish. The success of this single-ingredient recipe is

solely based on technique and some helpful “tricks of the trade.” Below is an example

of a balsamic vinegar reduction:

Choose a shallow pan to maximize the surface area of the vinegar,

which enables the volume to reduce faster and more evenly without

having to stir it.

Bring the vinegar to a boil over medium-high heat, and then immediately

lower to a simmer. Allow the vinegar to reduce by half of

its original volume. Check its consistency by dipping a spoon into the

reduction. It should coat the back of the spoon when removed. If the

reduction slides off the spoon, it is still too thin; allow it to continue to

reduce to approximately two-thirds of its original volume.

If it has over-reduced, it will be thick and sticky like molasses and

will taste bitter. As it cools, it will harden like tar. Unfortunately, there

is no way of reversing over-reduction, and the mixture will have to be

discarded. This mistake is quite tough to remove from your pan, but

a great trick is to fill the pan with water and bring to a boil (this will

loosen any over-reduced vinegar from the pan, which can then be

simply poured out, and should be easy to wash out). This trick is also

great for any burnt or caked-on food that is tough to remove.

As seen in the Chef's Tip section of Cooking Across America