Is Flour the best thickener?

[wannabechef]

Is flour best for cream soups? What about rice flour, potato starch etc. What have any others here used to make cream soups?

 

[Michael in FtW]

Auguste Escoffier, in his turn of the 20th-Century cookbook, extolled the virtues of using pure starches (corn, potato, rice, etc.) for their superior thickening qualities ... and then went on to use flour-roux in all of the recipes in the book.
Most of my cream soups are thick and I use the cream to thin them out ... but when I need to thicken something - I just use a flour roux. Well, with the exception of chili and I'll use masa flour.

 

[CharlieD]

Before I really new how to deal with flour, I used to use corn starch, it was easier to me. Now I prefer flour.

 

[wannabechef]

Thank you, will flour stand up on a steam table?

 

[Michael in FtW]

Yes.

What are you making?

 

[Dave Hutchins]

If when I am cooking and some thing needs to be thicken I grind up Tapioca in my spice grinder and it works quick lacking that -I grind up some pasta till it is like powder mix as feelingm with

 

[Andy M.]

If when I am cooking and some thing needs to be thicken I grind up Tapioca in my spice grinder and it works quick lacking that -I grind up some pasta till it is like powder mix as feelingm with

Dave, why do you grind pasta rather than just using flour? After all, the pasta is made from flour.

 

[Aera]

I use both cornstarch and flour, not together, but for different things.

 

[Mel!]

I often just put cream or cream cheese in them.
I stir it in, after I take the soup off the heat.
I dont use anything, especially to make them thick.

Mel

 

[Claire]

In my experience, I've found flour to be the most stable thickener. Since I cook a lot for two, being able to re-heat gravies and soups is important. Other thickeners don't stand up to reheating as well as flour. To make it easier, I sometimes use Wondra (flour that has been sifted).

 

[Dina]

I stopped using flour as a thickening agent as it was taking away flavors from food. I haven't completely banned it from cooking as I still use it on creamy soups, mac & cheese and gravies. I opted for cornstarch as it's not as heavy and won't take away the dish's flavors from popping out. Has anyone experienced this before? BTW, Corn flour or MASEKA is wonderful in chili and other Mexican sauces.

 

[Uncle Bob]

I use flour/roux (mostly) arrowroot, cornstarch, and Masa.

 

[CharlieD]

It is interesting to see how people have diferent opinion, Dina, I felt exactly the oposite.

 

[wannabechef]

Thank you for ideas,seems we are split on which is best. I am making cream soups and will report back how flour roux holds up on staem table in broccoli soup.

 

[jpmcgrew]

I like a flour roux the best I think it adds more flavor than corn starch if I didn't make enough roux to thicken something I will add a little corn starch slurry to get where I want it to be.I use cornstarch for fruit based thickenings.

 

[suraya83]

I stopped using flour as a thickening agent as it was taking away flavors from food. I haven't completely banned it from cooking as I still use it on creamy soups, mac & cheese and gravies. I opted for cornstarch as it's not as heavy and won't take away the dish's flavors from popping out. Has anyone experienced this before? BTW, Corn flour or MASEKA is wonderful in chili and other Mexican sauces.

Hi Dina,

I had the same thoughts too! Flour was just taking some of the flovour away. Phew, I'm not the only one!

 

[kulikuli]

For gravies, I use a little extra onion and some stick celery. Brown meat, sweat or brown onion/celery mix, cook. Then I remove meat and blend the onion/celery mix very well. You get a thicker sauce without use of any flour.

This works for some soups as well. You may blend some of the cooked vegetables, use some to have some "bite". I also use potatoes to cook along and then blend. I often opt for as little liquid to cook as possible, adding liquid (water, cream, etc) at the end. Seasoning at last when I have the consistency I like.

Note: if using carrot to cook along, make sure you remove carrot pieces before blending. Otherwise the taste of carrot owerpowers all else.