How long does it take to make Cream Sauce?

Pan sauce: brown the chicken about 2 minutes per side and remove; in the same skillet fry garlic, onion and mushrooms, add ½ cup dry white wine, scrape up the browned bits and bring to a boil, and return the chicken for about 2 minutes, until the sauce thickens slightly.

4 minTotal

Step by Step

#	What to do	How long
1	Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat	—
2	Add the cream and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat and simmer 3–4 minutes	4 min

How to Tell It's Done

until the sauce thickens

Tips

Cream thickens as its water evaporates: cook at a gentle simmer and stir, because a long, hard boil can make it split.

Common Mistakes

A gentle simmer, not a boil: a hard boil dries the food out and clouds it, a slow simmer cooks it evenly.

More Ways

A carton (250 ml) of heavy cream for about 30 g butter; add the cream and seasonings and bring to a boil.
Pepper sauce is a cream sauce with peppercorns, which thickens as the cream reduces over the heat; sometimes with butter, shallot, garlic or brandy.
Salmon in cream sauce: sear the salmon and remove to a plate; in the same skillet lightly fry garlic and cherry tomatoes, add spinach and then cream, bring to a gentle simmer and return the salmon for 2 minutes.

The full recipe: Cream Sauce →