What can I use besides flour to thicken a sauce?!
What can I use besides flour to thicken a sauce?
Answers: You can also use arrowroot. The neat thing about arrowroot powder is, you do not have to heat it to boiling as with flour and cornstarch.
I have also very sucessfully used mashed potato flakes (instant mashed potatoes) in stews, soupd, and sauces. A small amount of cornstarch disolved in water works very well as a thickener.
Based on my experiences with cooking and with atching other cook, you also don't have to use as much as you would with using flour. Plus it mixes a lot easier. I always get lumps when I use flour to thicken. Cornstarch works. Depending on what you are making, potato buds work. cornstarch is one of the best thickeners its 10 times better than flour. Cornstarch or instant mashed potato flakes. Corn starch (not my favorite)
Heavy cream thickens up sauces quite nicely if you let it simmer
Sour cream can work too, but you need to be careful about NOT letting it simmer. Just remove from heat and stir it in just before serving. Rewarm for a sec if necessary.
If you have anything going on with potatoes, they can make a nice thickener too if mashed up into a liquid (great tip for thickening soups) Wondra, it is made specially for thickening sauces...
and it's good too! -Cornstarch & water (1 tsp. of cornstarch to 1/2 C. room temperature liquid:water or stock)
-Agar agar ( a thickener but not recommended for chicken entree)
-Arrowroot powder
-A "roux": This is a flour based thickener. A combination of flour and butter mixed together in a thick paste of sorts. You can also brown the roux by combining browned flour and browned butter together. cornstarch.
Use a bowl and add in the cornstarch with some water,it will disolve.DO NOT put cornstarch in your sauce without mixing it with water seperately.It will be lumpy. corn starch, instant mashed potatoes, grated parmesean cheese, depends on what you are cooking. Cornstarch, potato starch, Arrowroot, cream, mashed potatoes Pureed vegetables, a cornstarch slurry, arrowroot, and sometimes butter while help tighten a sauce. the other thing that will work is cornstach mixed with water,and the nice thing is you dont have to cook off the floury taste,just be careful how much you use ground raw cashewnuts.
but cornstarch works best evrytime