On Fri, 16 Jul 2004 17:47:23 +1000, "Greg"
> wrote:

>"zuuum" > wrote

>> The recipe says to reduce/thicken the soup before you add the cooked
>chicken

>Thanks - yes, you're right, and I *did* boil it without the chicken in the
>broth, come to think of it. Doh!
>So, without the chicken, I could pretty much boil it for as long as I liked,
>waiting for it
>to thicken?

The reaction of roux (the fat and flour) and liquid to thicken soups
and sauces happens fairly rapidly. Cook the roux; add liquid; heat
back up, stirring, 'til you notice the liquid becoming thicker. Once
that's happened -- in a minute or 2 -- the only further thickening
that will happen will be the result of evaporation of the liquid. That
is, it doesn't get thicker and thicker the longer you boil it.

Given that the recipe is for soup, not gravy, and there was 1Tblsp of
flour to 8 cups of liquid, the 'thickening' will be slight.