Sauces
How to tell when a sauce coats a spoon
A simple test for when a sauce or custard has thickened enough.
Step by step
- Dip a spoon into the sauce and lift it out.
- Turn it over and look at the back.
- Draw a line through the sauce on the spoon with your finger.
- If the line stays clean and the sauce doesn't run into it, it is ready.
How you know it's done
The sauce clings in an even, opaque layer and your finger line holds.
Common mistakes
- Judging a sauce while it is boiling hard; take it off the heat for a moment first.
- Licking the spoon and dipping it back in.
Simmerbee recipes that use it (8)
- Baked Mac and Cheese with Crispy Topping
- Chicken Enchiladas with Red Chile Sauce
- Classic Chicken Pot Pie
- Classic Croque Monsieur
- Coq au Vin with Chicken Thighs
- Creamy Stovetop Mac and Cheese
- From-Scratch Green Bean Casserole
- Turkey Gravy from Pan Drippings
In those recipes the word is underlined in the steps; tap it for the short version. In hands-free cook mode, ask “How do I coat the back of a spoon?”
Related techniques
More sauces
DeglazeCornstarch slurryEmulsifyStrainSeason to tasteGlazeBloom spicesSteep (infuse)