Fat naturally collects on the surface of cheese sauces after they settle.
Most sauces require you to remove excess fat to achieve proper texture, viscosity and palatability. Certain sauces, such as consomm s, require as much fat removal as possible to achieve the clarity that makes them desirable. Although cheese-based sauces need to retain some fat for flavor and texture, they do not need an unpleasing pool of grease resting on the surface. Removing fat from these sauces can be done in several ways, the most effective being skimming, chilling or a combination of both.
Instructions
1. Remove excess fats from sauces by chilling them. Allow the fat to collect on the surface of the sauce, cool for approximately 30 minutes, place in the refrigerator and continue cooling for 30 minutes. Remove the chilled, solidified fat using a spoon.
2. Skim excess fat from the surface of cheese sauce with a shallow, perforated skimming spoon--also known as a spider skimmer. Skim the viscous and solidified fat from the surface of the cheese sauce and allow any non-fat liquids to strain back into the pot before discarding.
3. Move the pot containing the cheese sauce slightly to the left or right of the burner towards the end of cooking or when reheating. Use an inverted plate to support the side of the pot not touching the burner. The fat will collect on the side of the pot removed from the burner for easy removal.
4. Place a shallow, perforated spoon in the freezer for 15 minutes. Collect and remove the fat from the surface of the cheese sauce using the cold spoon. The fat will congeal upon contact with the spoon, making it easier to collect. Wash the spoon and repeat as needed.
5. Remove trace amounts of surface fat using a lint-free paper towel or coffee filter. Often after removing large quantities of fat from a sauce, small droplets remain dispersed over its surface. Lay the coffee filter over the droplets and allow it to saturate. Using a sliding motion, pull the filter over the surface of the sauce, remove and discard. Allow a few minutes for more droplets to float to the top and repeat until desired appearance is reached.
Tags: cheese sauce, surface cheese, from surface, from surface cheese, surface cheese sauce, coffee filter, filter over