favor Sunday suppers prepared on the cooktop, rather than in a hot oven. And if I wish to elevate my meal to another level, I will make a pan sauce -- a technique that turns simple pan-fried steaks, chicken cutlets, fish fillets or pork chops into mouth-watering dishes.

Basically, the food is cooked in a sauté pan over fairly high heat until it's done and leaves brown caramelized bits (professional chefs call this ``fond'') stuck to the pan. You want the food to stick; use a heavy non-reactive sauté pan.

After cooking meat or fish, transfer the food to a plate and tent it with foil or put it in a low oven (200 degrees) to keep it warm. Discard any fat in the pan, add liquid to the pan and use a wooden spoon to dissolve the brown bits. This is called deglazing and can be done with wine, broth, cream, or even water, which can be used in combination or alone.

The deglazing liquid is cooked down by at least half, which concentrates the flavor and thickens the sauce. As the liquid cooks down, it will become saltier, so season the sauce after it has reduced.

Add several pats of cold butter to thicken and enhance the flavor of the sauce. Or if you prefer, sprinkle in about a teaspoon of gravy flour (Wondra is good).

For complexity, you'll want to add aromatics like garlic or shallots.

If the sauce is too thin, it can either be reduced further or thickened with more flour. If the sauce has been reduced too much, add a tablespoon or two of water or other liquid.

Carole Kotkin is manager of the Ocean Reef Club cooking school and co-author of Mmmmiami: Tempting Tropical Tastes for Home Cooks Everywhere.

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