Glacé

OK, it's French.

That word.

Glacé.

But what it is, is something better than French. It’s a sauce that is like velvet…

The definition from French means to “have been made to have a smooth glossy surface, like silk.”

For us, we little people who just cook and love food and flavor, it’s a thick, really thick reduction that you add to other preparations to thicken them, add rich meaty-goodness, or to finish a dish or sauce much like adding a pat of butter, but better. And because it's so concentrated, you use tiny amounts.

For example. I took an entire duck carcase, and the wings, added a quartered onion (top and tail removed, but with skin (it adds color)), two carrots (chopped roughly), two celery stalks (again, chopped roughly), three bay leaves, about a tablespoon of black pepper corns, water to cover, and brought to a simmer, and cooked. And cooked. About an hour or two.

When the water level was reduced to about three quarters, I strained it all into a bowl. I put all the strained stuff (solids) back into the pot, added water to cover, brought back it all to a simmer for 30 minutes, then strained it all again into the bowl (adding to the previously strained liquid). Essentially, I rinsed the concentrated flavor off the solids left behind after the first strain - because there is so much flavor left behind.

After pouring the strained liquids in the bowl into a clean pot, I boiled down the liquid until I had about a quarter to a half a cup. This is concentrated goodness. Very concentrated. Very goodness.

I strained the liquid through a pad of cheesecloth to clarify it, into a small clean bowl.

I ended up with enough concentrated duck to pour into two 4 ounce containers, and it didn't fill them.

THAT'S AN ENTIRE DUCK CARCASS WITH TWO MEATY WINGS!

It's like Duck extract. And I didn't add salt. That's for the chef to do when using.

After a night in the fridge, It was a hockey-puck of flavor.