On Food and Cooking

produce a finer flavor than a fast boil. The
tannins in red wine can be a problem,
especially when a bottle of wine is reduced
down to a few syrupy tablespoons: the
tannins become concentrated and
unbearably astringent. This outcome can be
avoided by cooking the wine down with
protein-rich ingredients, including finely
chopped meat or a gelatinous stock
reduction. The tannins bind to the proteins
in those ingredients instead of to the
proteins in our mouth (just as tea tannins
bind to milk proteins), and so lose their
astringent effect.
Because fish flavor deteriorates quickly,
it’s important that fish stock or fumet be made
with very fresh ingredients. Whole fish,
bones, and skin should be thoroughly cleaned
and rinsed, and the blood-rich, very perishable
gills discarded. Cooks often briefly cook the
ingredients in butter to develop the flavor. A
gelatin-bodied sauce can be made from the