On food and cooking the science and lore of the kitchen ( PDFDrive ) 1196

you’re starting with water as the continuous phase As the fat molecules are released into the water, they’re surrounded by water — and by the substances contained in the butter’s own water droplets, which merge right into the cooking water The droplets contain milk proteins and remnants of the emulsifier membranes that coated the fat globules in the original cream And those protein and phospholipid remnants reassemble themselves onto the fat as it melts into the water, coating and protecting separate fat droplets and forming the fat-in-water emulsion However, the droplet coatings in this reconstituted cream are sparser and more fragile than the original fat-globule membranes, and will begin to leak fat if heated close to 140ºF/60ºC Any water-based sauce can thus be thickened and enriched simply by swirling a pat of butter into it at the end This is especially handy in the last-minute thickening of pan juices, which don’t have the benefit of containing much gelatin or any starch Incorporating one volume of butter into three volumes of deglazing liquid — off the heat, to avoid damaging the fragile droplet coatings — will produce a consistency (and fat content) approximating that of light cream In purees and starch-thickened sauces, a small amount of butter (or cream) lubricates the solid thickeners and lends a smoother consistency Because these sauces are rich in emulsion-stabilizing molecules and particles, they can be heated to the boil without causing the reconstituted fat droplets to separate Beurre Blanc The French sauce beurre blanc probably evolved from the practice of enriching cooking liquids with butter It’s made by preparing a flavorful reduction of vinegar and/or wine, then whisking pieces of butter into the reduction Each piece of butter carries all the ingredients necessary for a new portion of sauce, so the cook can whisk in one ... — will produce a consistency (and fat content) approximating that of light cream In purees and starch-thickened sauces, a small amount of butter (or cream) lubricates the solid thickeners and lends a smoother... wine, then whisking pieces of butter into the reduction Each piece of butter carries all the ingredients necessary for a new portion of sauce, so the cook can whisk in one ... the solid thickeners and lends a smoother consistency Because these sauces are rich in emulsion-stabilizing molecules and particles, they can be heated to the boil without causing the reconstituted fat droplets to separate