Its in a recipe I'm making


Thanks

Au sec translated is to almost dry in other words reduce the liquid right down

That's not entirely true, it means to reduce stock/liquid to 1/4 original volume

No, it literally means "just dry."

You reduce the liquid until it is just about to go dry in the pan, but before it starts to burn.

Reducing to 1/4 of the original volume is a standard reduction process, not an Au Sec reduction. This is a very specific distinction to the 1/4 rule of a standard reduction.

Whoever told "culinarystudent" it was to 1/4 of the original volume would have failed at my school.