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.

Sally Swift
Sally Swift is the managing producer and co-creator of The Splendid Table. Before developing the show, she worked in film, video and television, including stints at Twin Cities Public Television, Paisley Park, and Comic Relief with Billy Crystal. She also survived a stint as segment producer on The Jenny Jones Show.
Lynne Rossetto Kasper
Lynne Rossetto Kasper has won numerous awards as host of The Splendid Table, including two James Beard Foundation Awards (1998, 2008) for Best National Radio Show on Food, five Clarion Awards (2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2014) from Women in Communication, and a Gracie Allen Award in 2000 for Best Syndicated Talk Show.