articles

From a Jar: Williams-Sonoma Braising Sauce

A rich, savory braised chicken dish in under an hour? Read on to find out if this sauce delivers!

By Monica Storch, Managing Editor of Macaroni Kid EATS! July 22, 2011

My 3-year-old daughter Sadie may not be keen on veggies, but she sure does like her chicken.  From nuggets (organic, of course -no need to phone Jamie Oliver) to drumsticks (she calls them "bone chicken") to cutlets and more, Sadie can't get enough of her favorite bird.  I'm therefore always on the lookout for new ways to prepare a chicken dinner that will satisfy Sadie's toddler palate as well as that of my finicky husband.  I'd been curious to try one of Williams-Sonoma's many chicken "helper" sauces, and was definitely intrigued when I spotted the Caramelized Onion Weeknight Braising Sauce, which bills itself as a "family-friendly braising sauce" that will enable you to put a "savory, succulent" dish "on the table in under an hour."  Hmm...a richly-flavored braise that takes less than an hour to prepare? Usually these things take the better part of a day to prepare, but since I'm a big fan of all things Williams-Sonoma, I decided to take a leap of faith and try it out.

I'm glad I gave the Weeknight Braising Sauce a whirl, as it definitely lived up to its billing as a quick and tasty weeknight helper.  The sauce is made with balsamic vinegar, caramelized onions, brown sugar, thyme, white wine, spices and even a demi-glace (a star ingredient in any braised dish), and the ingredients are simmered at length by Williams-Sonoma to achieve the richness and complexity you want in a hearty sauce.  It's super easy to prepare a Caramelized Braised Chicken dish using the sauce.  Simply brown your favorite cut of chicken (I chose the boneless, skinless chicken breasts suggested on the label) in an oven-proof saute pan or Dutch oven, then pour the sauce over it, bring it to a simmer and transfer it to a 350 degree oven for about 15 minutes.  It's really that simple.  I was able to whip up the entire thing in under an hour and I'm a notoriously slow cook.  I even made the dish earlier in the day and had it waiting in the fridge for my husband and daughter on a night I was out at a media event.  They both gave the dish rave reviews, and Sadie even gobbled up another helping of the chicken for lunch the next day.  I took a chilled portion of the leftover chicken and diced it up into a salad for my own lunch, which gave my otherwise pedestrian spinach salad a really nice kick. 

At $10 a jar, the sauce isn't cheap, especially when you consider the fairly inexpensive ingredients that go into making it (except, of course the demi-glace, which is super pricey).  But when you consider the amount of time it would take to achieve the richness of a true braising sauce, it's definitely worth considering purchasing a product that's done all the work for you ahead of time.  I also love that the sauce is extremely low in fat - only 1.5 grams per serving.  And, unlike many prepared foods, the Weeknight Braising Sauce is relatively low in sodium, with 310 mg of sodium per serving (which is not inconsequential but, again, still far less than in many prepared foods on the market).  For more information, visit www.williams-sonoma.com