Madeira in Sauces

Madeira is a fortified wine from the Portuguese island of the same name and brings a deep, nutty sweetness to a sauce - but it is sweet, and pairing it with already-sweet ingredients like roasted root vegetables can tip the whole dish into cloying territory. The trick is balance: cook the Madeira down hard so the alcohol burns off and the sugars concentrate, then taste before pouring more in. A splash of stock, a knob of cold butter, or a squeeze of lemon at the end will cut the sweetness and add gloss. Less is almost always more.