Thickening sauces

[Lynan]

Instant potato is a cool idea! Would that work on something like a crock pot pot roast? Would you add it after it's done, or before cooking by adding it dry? Right now I use tapioca (not instant) at the beginning.....

This is my first time on the forum & it's great! By the way, guess what we had for dinner tonite & what motivated me to discover the forum....

You need to add it toward the end, whisk it dry and slowly into the liquid. Be careful not to add too much, you will be suprised just how little you need.
Obviously, this is a rustic solution to thicken casseroles etc, so choose the recipient well!
And dont ever use it to thicken Chinese sauces...lolol

 

[Chopstix]

ibsriv, from my experience, tapioca or cassava or arrowroot flour yield thicker sauces than cornstarch, with a longer lasting, more stable thickening effect too.

Michael said to reduce stock first before adding the slurry. I completely agree. When your dish is seasoned/cooked already and stock is totally boiling, then add the slurry as the last step. Don't stir too rigorously. Just let the starch cook out.

Also, I've never used a whisk after adding the slurry -- (traditional chinese cooking does not involve whisks) -- just the normal cooking utensils. (I use wooden spoons.) Perhaps your whisking is breaking down the coagulation that's trying to form.

Plus, try to cook the sauce right before adding to the chicken. Making it ahead only to re-boil it will result in thinner sauce.

Bottomline, I suspect the culprits could be your whisk and the re-boiling.

 

[college_cook]

Here's what i would suggest after reading everyone's posts. Whenever I am making a chinese type sauce I always use corn starch. Also, I never use a whisk. I think it would be ok to use a whisk to quickly incorporate your cornstarch slurry into your sauce, but after that, I use a wooden spoon, but I really dont even need to stir after incorporating my slurry. As far as reducing, everyone seems to agree that reducing before adding your slurry would be best, and I agree. After adding the slurry I would bring it back at least to a simmer, and then immediately take my sauce off the heat.