A pan sauce takes maybe five minutes, and it's an easy and sexy finish to anything you oven- or pan-roast. Rarely is there a lot of pan sauce, but what you create can be so intense you won't want more than a spoonful over your dish.
Remove the food from the pan. If there's a lot of fat remaining, spoon off half of it. Put the pan on one or two burners set at medium-high.
Pour 1/2 to 1 cup wine, dry cider, or a blend of fruit juice and vinegar into the hot pan. Immediately get a flat metal or wood spatula (a pancake turner works brilliantly) in there to stir and scrape up all the sticky juices and brown bits. Herbs, garlic, and other flavors could go in now, too.
Once the liquid is boiled down by one-half to two-thirds and the juices taste rich and good, scrape them over your dish to moisten and flavor.
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