Simple pan cream sauce — velvety and luxurious
4
Units:
Prep: 2 min Cook: 5 min
Ingredients
- pan drippings from cooked meat
- 1 shallot, minced (or 1 garlic clove, minced)
- ¼ cup dry white wine or broth
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- fresh thyme or tarragon (optional)
- fine salt and black pepper to taste
A luxurious cream sauce that comes together in the pan in five minutes, no roux required. Cream reduces into a silky coat for chicken, pork, mushrooms, or fish. A squeeze of lemon at the end keeps it from feeling heavy.
Instructions
- Rest meat: Remove the cooked meat from the pan and rest on a plate. Pour off excess fat, leaving 1-2 tbsp.
- Saute aromatic: Add the minced shallot or garlic to the pan. Cook 30 sec over medium heat.
- Deglaze: Pour in the wine or broth. Scrape up the fond with a wooden spoon.
- Add cream: Pour in the heavy cream. Stir to combine.
- Reduce: Simmer 3-4 min until lightly thickened and coating a spoon.
- Brighten: Stir in the lemon juice and fresh herbs. Adjust salt and pepper.
Tips
- Lemon juice at the end cuts the richness and brightens the entire sauce — do not skip.
- Fresh thyme, tarragon, or parsley stirred in at the end elevates the finish.
- For a lighter version, half-and-half works but thickens less; evaporated milk is a stable alternative.
- Cream sauces do not reheat well — make fresh each time.
Created: 3/23/2026, 2:35:17 AM diytraditional
Skillet or saute pan, wooden spoon