This Blueberry Pan Sauce Is Good On Any Meat

Usually, when I think of blueberries, I think of muffins, pie and Blueberry Morning – a cereal I was obsessed with from ages nine through 12. These are all good things, but I urge you to reconsider the blueberry, and smother steaks, chops and wild game with this juicy, surprisingly balanced pan sauce.

Trust me on this. Photo: Claire Lower

Like a certain perfect potato dish, this three-ingredient pan sauce is something I picked up on my recent trip to France. (Did I mention I’m very worldly?) It gets along spectacularly with any animal protein I’ve thrown at it; chicken, duck, pork and steak all benefit from its bright, salty-sweet flavour. It’s fruity without being cloying, and it’s easy to make. To throw it together, you will need:

• A pan in which you have just seared some meat
• 1 cup of blueberries (I have only used fresh, but I imagine frozen would work fine too)
• 1/2 cup of some of your favourite flavorful stock (the more collagen, the better)
• A drizzle or two of honey

Once you’ve seared whatever meat you wish to consume, set it on a plate and let it rest. If the pan is really greasy, you can pour some of the fat off, but I never pour any fat off ever.

Reduce the heat to medium, removing it from the burner if it’s smoking to let it chill out for a bit. Toss the blueberries in the pan, pour in the stock, and drizzle a little bit of honey over the berries. Let everything simmer until the skins burst and the sauce is a dark, deep purple.

Taste it, add more honey or some salt if you think it needs it, then strain it through a sieve, mashing the skins to extract as much juicy goodness as possible.

If the sauce isn’t as thick as you’d like it, return it to the pan for a bit with a pat of butter. (I have never had to do this.) Drizzle it over your meaty meal, and marvel at its surprising complementary nature.