The sous chef told me to stop over-reducing my demi and he had a point

I've been running the sauce station at this place in Chicago for about 6 months now. Always thought a thicker demi meant more flavor, so I'd let it cook down way past what the recipe said. Last week the sous chef pulled me aside after service and said I was killing the depth by reducing it too much. I tried it his way next batch, backed off about 15 minutes earlier, and the difference in taste and texture was night and day. Has anyone else had a senior cook call them out on something they thought they were doing right?

2 comments

2 Comments

wells.brooke1mo ago

Remember getting yelled at by an old pastry chef for over-whipping my cream. Thought I was being precise, but he said I was turning it into butter. Took me a while to realize he wanted that soft peak stage, not the stiff stuff I was making. Your sous chef probably saved you from losing those delicate flavors that just vanish when you cook them past a certain point.

iris_burns1mo ago

That's the thing about cream, you really have to watch it like a hawk once it starts to thicken. I've definitely turned a batch into something closer to butter myself, more than once actually. The trick I learned is to stop beating right when you see the soft folds hold their shape and then just go by feel from there, not a timer. @wells.brooke is right about those flavors too, especially with herbs or certain spices that get bitter if they cook too long. A good chef can taste exactly when something is done by instinct, not a recipe. Your sous chef probably saw you were about to hit that overworked stage and stepped in before you ruined it.