Katra wrote:
>
> Bob Pastorio wrote:
>
>>AzuReBlue wrote:
>>
>>
>>>In article >,
>>>says...
>>>
>>>
>>>>AzuReBlue wrote:
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>>I was wondering what the difference is between using cornstarch to
>>>>>thicken something vs. flour. Is there any? Can I use cornstarch
>>>>>in place of flour with no noticeable effect?
>>>>
>>>>Depends on what you're doing and how you're doing it.
>>>>
>>>>What are you doing? How are you doing it? More info from you gets more
>>>>info.
>>>>
>>>>Pastorio
>>>
>>>I was making Chicken and Dumplings and the recipe called for flour &
>>>water to thicken. That got me thinking about other recipes I've made
>>>where cornstarch is called for, gravy if I remember correctly. Just
>>>wondered what, if any, difference there was.
>>
>>You made a slurry (water-based liquid + starch) rather than a roux
>>(fat +starch). Slurries will thicken more quickly, but won't give the
>>finished smoothness of a simmered roux-based sauce.
>>
>>Cornstarch is a very good, inexpensive and efficient thickener. When
>>chilled, it often breaks (separates, to some extent, into a watery
>>component and a gelled one) but comes right back together upon
>>reheating and stirring. It can't be frozen without permanently
>>breaking, but neither can a roux-based sauce.
>
>
> Why have I had a problem with this? What did I do wrong?
> If I refrigerate a dish made with Cornstarch as the thickener, it
> "breaks", every time, even on re-heating.
Could be too much fat in it. There's a funny bit of business that
happens with starches and fats that makes the fats less able to
thicken and hold it.
Reheating and whisking back together is what I do and haven't ever had
one not work. You have to heat up near a boil for this to work. And
you can't overwhisk it or that will cause it to thin down.
> If I make it with Arrowroot, that does not happen?
Simple solution, eh?
>>The flour slurry will give you an opaque gravy but will need some
>>cooking time to get the raw flour taste out. The starch-thickened
>>gravy will be more transparent but will be fully cooked at the moment
>>of thickening. Matter of taste...
>>
>>Pastorio
> I've had flour based thickened dishes break every time. Especially a
> problem with sweetbread gravy. Mom taught me to make that one with a
> flour roux. Gets watery on refrigeration and re-heating.
Should be a little breaking on chilling, but it should go right back
together when heated. If it isn't, it might be that you aren't heating
it enough. Or stirring it enough. Or there's some occult thing going
on and you're cursed by that woman next door with that big wart on her
nose with the hair growing out of it.
> I've had really good luck with Arrowroot, but I use more of it?
> Maybe that is the difference???
>
> Danke!
> K.
Bitte.
Pastorio