What Exactly Is A Split Sauce And How Do You Fix It?

Sauce from a jar will always be a quick and easy go-to, but may never satisfy you the way a homemade sauce will. There's just something about a blend of fresh and creamy ingredients that seems to meld better with your dish and give it that flavorful boost. But nobody said making your own sauce was easy, especially when a sauce splits. Fortunately, Food Republic consulted Dan Mancini, founder of MamaMancini's, to learn how to avoid this sauce mistake.

So what is a split sauce? According to Mancini, a sauce "is considered split (also known as 'broken') if it appears to have separated and looks grainy [or] has what looks like an oily film on top."

Using béchamel sauce as his example, Mancini said, "Basically, the ingredients of milk, flour, and the fat in the butter have separated." Béchamel is one of the French mother sauces that is milk-based and thickened by a roux that can burn and break if you're not careful.

"Using a heat that is too high will cause your sauce to split," explained Mancini. This is because the heat may cause the ingredients to separate — the eggs may scramble or the milk curdle. That's why other sauces, like vodka sauce, can appear to split when not properly cared for, according to Mancini, who informed us, "The addition of vodka or tequila is an emulsifier and that keeps the sauce from 'splitting.'" Thankfully, saving your sauce, even if it's already broken, can be easily done with the right temperature and patience.

Most split sauces can actually be recovered if you catch it quickly enough, and there are no signs of the sauce burning. According to Dan Mancini, there is no reason to ditch your sauce. Instead, "All you need to do is add a little warm water and use a whisk and whisk away until it comes back together."

Temperature is key to a good homemade sauce in every way, and adding cold ingredients directly to your pan can be one of the biggest mistakes you can make in a creamy sauce like béchamel. The only ingredient this doesn't apply to is butter, which can negatively affect your pan sauce if it's too soft. Mancini said, "The best way to avoid [splitting] from happening in the first place is to always prepare your sauce on a very low heat and whisk slowly until you reach the consistency you're looking for."

So if there's anything to take away from making your own sauce, it's to always keep things cooking low and slow; and as Mancini reminded us, "Just like when making a risotto, don't leave the saucepan alone." Constantly stirring or whisking your sauce will ensure no single ingredient cooks more than another.

But, if you're looking for a simpler route, or, as Mancini says, "don't feel like making your own sauce, pick up some delicious award-winning Mama Mancini's from QVC." Either way, you'll have a satisfying sauce that stays intact, ready to build up the flavors of your home-cooked meal.