Sauces and Gravies

Sauces and Gravies

Thickening the liquids in the pan into a sauce or gravy is
often the last step in a recipe, and can be crucial to the
success of a dish.

Sauces are made either by stirring a mixture of cornstarch
that has been dissolved in an equal amount of water into the
liquid and cooking it until it thickens, or by making a sauce
or gravy in another pan and pouring it over the dish just
before it is served.

Sauces help blend the flavors of all the ingredients, impart
an added aroma, and give the dish a shiny, glistening finish.

Chinese recipes usually rely on two kinds of gravies. The
first is a mixture of cornstarch, soy sauce or salt, sugar,
vinegar, MSG, and a little water. It is usually used for
stir-fried and slippery-fried dishes and is added to the pan
at the last stage of cooking.

The other way to make gravy is to add seasonings gradually
while the dish cooks and to thicken it at the last minute with
cornstarch and water. This lets the flavors of the seasonings
permeate the food and is generally used with long, low-heat
cooking methods.