Warning: I stopped using a thermometer for pan sauces and got better results

I used to temp every pan sauce at my station in Portland, but last month I started going purely by look and feel after a 15-year line cook told me to try it. Ngl, I stopped overcooking my beurre blanc and the consistency is way better now that I just watch for the bubbles to change size and the liquid to coat a spoon. Has anyone else ditched thermometers for pan sauces or am I the only one who thinks this actually works better?

2 comments

2 Comments

betty12614d ago

Respectfully, I gotta disagree a bit here. Thermometers help me keep my sauces from breaking when I'm doing big batches at home, especially with hollandaise or a red wine reduction where a few degrees makes or breaks the emulsion. Sure, visual cues are good for small amounts, but my spoon-coating test got me fooled twice last week during a dinner party rush and the sauce turned out grainy. For delicate stuff like beurre blanc, I still rely on the temp to stay below 140F since butterfat separates fast past that point, and my guests can definitely tell the difference.

the_cora14d ago

Did your spoon-coating test fail because of pan thickness or temp swings?