Red wine sauce

[kjsgran]

HELP!! I am entertaining this weekend and thought I would cook and freeze my main course in advance. It is Coq au Vin which I have made often before with no problems. This time the chicken mushrooms and shallots were love but the sauce was really thin I removed everything but the put the sauce back on and stirred in some cornflour That seemed to work but when it cooled it was like Blancmange!!! I had to bin it

Could anyone give me a recipe for a red wine sace that I can make to use with the chicken?Ive never had a disaster like this before!!! Many thanks in advance I would be so grateful for your help kjsgran

[heathfield]

Why another recipe? All you did wrong was to use too much cornflour. As Pastafreak says elsewhere, you could have thinned it down. Just use less cornflour next time, adding little by little if it's not enough.

[pastafreak]

Thanks heathfield... ;-)
And kjs-that wasn't really a cooking disaster. A sauce thickened with cornflour will always cool off thicker...reheating restores it to the proper consistency.

[Barmaid]

^^^ I'd agree - I'd have just reheated it and if it was still gloopy chucked in some stock or some red wine.

[vivandorron]

I can't understand why you threw away the sauce. heathfield is right in what she has said

Obviously you will be re-heating all the ingredients which you have salvaged. Why not therefore do as I would.......Reheat in a casserole or saucepan (on top of stove) with red wine added and simmer until the wine has reduced to half. If you then think that the sauce is too thin...mix a little cornflour with water and gentle stir-in small amounts at a time; until you are happy with the thickness of the sauce.

Best of luck.....Ron.

[pastafreak]

It was I who originally told kjs.....on her original enquiry in another topic.

[gingejbee]

I find arrowroot better for thickening sauces - it can be added while they are boiling and gives a glossier sauce. And doesn't separate after freezing and thawing.