Velvety sauces without cream?

The secret will surprise you


Like many French classics, sole Véronique and Normandy-style chicken are known for their lavish sauces. Yet they can retain surprisingly rich character even when the sauces are adjusted to meet low-fat criteria. The secret, an unlikely ingredient, is cooked breakfast cereal. It adds more flavor than cornstarch, and the sauce retains its texture with long cooking better than a cornstarch-thickened sauce.

Karen Souther of Monte Sereno, California, uses the cereal to make a simplified version of the sole, and it also works well with this light version of chicken with cider from Jennifer Kirkgaard of Burbank, California.