Acidic Red Wine Sauce

[swelbo]

I am making chicken in red wine sauce for dinner. I used a Cotes du Rhone. In any event, the sauce is waay too acidic and guests are coming in 2 hours. Any recommendations on how to balance the sauce? What can I add to make it taste better??!

[mojoman]

butter and sugar

[muichoi]

Remove the solid elements then reduce slowly, skimming, the pan partially off the heat. When there is not too much volume left, add back the solid elements and as much water or unsalted stock if you have it to give the consistency you want. If not now entirely balanced, add a spoonful of sugar and whisk in some cubes of cold butter at the end.

[swelbo]

Thank you thank you thank you.

I just reconstituted with unsalted stock and it seems better already. I just panicked and didn't think..

Newbie here.

[SundaySous]

No experience with this but what would baking soda do in a situation like this.

[wattacetti]

Apart from giving it a weird undertone taste? In theory it should correct the pH but in practice all the other advice is the better way to go.

I generally use honey rather than sugar for this type of sauce (personal quirky thing).

[TheSwede]

Finishing with a knob of cold butter (after removing the pot from the flames, just before serving) does wonder for that type of sauce. It rounds out the flavour very nicely, takes the edge of the acid, thickens it a bit and gives a nice sheen.

If you want to go the bullet proof route, thicken the sauce with a little starch (corn starch or arrow root mixed in some cold water) before whisking in the butter. Otherwise the sauce might bleed some butter fat. But it probably will be fine without the starch, especially if the base is gelatinous stock.

[Bonnie Ruth]

Remove the solid elements then reduce slowly, skimming, the pan partially off the heat. When there is not too much volume left, add back the solid elements and as much water or unsalted stock if you have it to give the consistency you want. If not now entirely balanced, add a spoonful of sugar and whisk in some cubes of cold butter at the end.

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Now I'm curious. I'd think reducing the bad tasting sauce would be the last thing you'd want to do, because of intensifying the flavor. Even though you then add water or unsalted stock, how can you be sure you won't have just made it worse?