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So what did I do right?

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  • 24-01-2016 1:30pm
    #1
    Tom Dunne
    Registered Users Posts: 23,212 ✭✭✭✭


    I typically make a basic tomato sauce - tin of tomatoes, onion, garlic, herbs, salt, black pepper. The odd time I would throw in a fistful of chillis.

    Usually, when the sauce is either poured over chicken or used with mince, it separates, so I am left with this watery liquid all of the plate and the bulk of the sauce on the meat.

    Last night, however, I used the above (minus the chillis) and for no reason other than "because I can" I threw in a good dash of white wine and some cream.

    Left it simmering for about 1hr, stirring well, and the sauce didn't separate when I served it. No watery leakage - I was delighted.

    Any idea what went right this time? Could it be the cream? Or did I leave it to simmer longer than normal? Or was it to do with the planets aligning the other day?


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    #2
    TICKLE_ME_ELMO
    Moderators, Arts Moderators Posts: 23,926 Mod ✭✭✭✭TICKLE_ME_ELMO


    Tom Dunne wrote: »
    I typically make a basic tomato sauce - tin of tomatoes, onion, garlic, herbs, salt, black pepper. The odd time I would throw in a fistful of chillis.

    Usually, when the sauce is either poured over chicken or used with mince, it separates, so I am left with this watery liquid all of the plate and the bulk of the sauce on the meat.

    Last night, however, I used the above (minus the chillis) and for no reason other than "because I can" I threw in a good dash of white wine and some cream.

    Left it simmering for about 1hr, stirring well, and the sauce didn't separate when I served it. No watery leakage - I was delighted.

    Any idea what went right this time? Could it be the cream? Or did I leave it to simmer longer than normal? Or was it to do with the planets aligning the other day?

    Weirdly I had the opposite problem last night. Was making chicken and mozzarella pasta and the sauce was simmering away fine and then as I was serving it up I realised it had separated and there was a big pool of water at the bottom of the bowls.

    I'm wondering if it's from using tinned tomatoes rather than passata which I usually use for making pizza sauce which turns out fine every time?


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    #3
    duploelabs
    Registered Users Posts: 11,161 ✭✭✭✭duploelabs


    Acid in the tomatoes can aid in prevention of splitting. For example when you make a bernaise


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    #4
    Minder
    Registered Users Posts: 2,774 ✭✭✭Minder


    Fat in the cream emulsifies the sauce, trapping the water in the sauce.


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    #5
    Faith
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 30,655 Mod ✭✭✭✭Faith


    Plus the extended simmer likely helped as more of the water would have evaporated off.


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