If you've forgotten to buy cornstarch at the grocery store, or if it's not your favorite ingredient, there are plenty of alternatives for thickening a sauce. In minutes, you can create a thickening agent by easily combining a few commonly used ingredients. You can give your sauce a perfect texture by using a roux, beurre manié, or by exploring other alternatives.
Ingrediants
Prepare a Roux
- 1 tablespoon (15 g) of butter
- 1 tablespoon (10 g) of flour
Thicken a sauce with Beurre Manié
- 1 tablespoon (15 g) of butter
- 1 tablespoon (10 g) of flour
Use Egg Yolks for Creamy Sauces and Desserts
1 egg yolk per 250 ml of liquid
Steps
Method 1 of 4: Make a Roux
Step 1. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat
Put 1 tablespoon (15 g) of butter in a small saucepan and let it melt over medium heat. You will know that the butter is hot when, dusting it with a pinch of flour, you notice that it slowly starts to sizzle.
If you want, you can substitute butter for oil for a dairy-free option
Step 2. Mix a tablespoon of flour (10g) with the whisk to obtain a thick mixture
Leave the butter on the stove, add the flour and mix the two ingredients nonstop as they cook. The mixture will gradually become smoother and more homogeneous.
Step 3. Cook the roux for 5 minutes without stopping stirring
The roux is prepared in a simple and quick way, it is ready when it becomes smooth, white and you no longer perceive the smell of raw flour.
- You can use roux to thicken milk-based sauces, such as a cheese sauce for pasta.
- You can let the roux cook longer to give it a golden or nutty tint, but generally what is referred to as "blonde roux" and "dark roux" are used to thicken soups, not sauces.
Step 4. Add room temperature roux to the boiling liquid
Incorporate it into the sauce, stirring vigorously. You can let the roux cool on the kitchen counter or put it in the refrigerator if you need to speed up the process.
- Hot roux can only be added immediately if the sauce is cold or warm.
- Do not add the hot roux to an equally hot sauce, otherwise it will lump and you will have to strain it, as you will not be able to remove them otherwise.
Step 5. Raise the heat and let the sauce boil for 1 minute
Increase the heat to bring the sauce to a boil. It will begin to thicken about a minute after it has started to boil. Let it reduce over high heat until it reaches the desired consistency.
Step 6. Transfer the leftover roux to a pan or ice cube pan
Place the roux in the refrigerator and let it cool until the next day or until it hardens.
- Store leftover roux in an airtight container. Keep it in the refrigerator or freezer and use it within a month.
- If you used oil instead of butter, you can store the roux at room temperature for 2-4 weeks.
Method 2 of 4: Thicken a sauce with the Beurre Manié
Step 1. Mix the softened butter and flour in a small bowl
Start with a tablespoon of soft butter (15g) and a tablespoon of flour (10g) and add more as needed. Soften the butter in the microwave by heating it every 5-10 seconds.
The butter should be soft, but not melted
Step 2. Knead the butter and flour mixture, then make balls the size of a teaspoon
Mix the two ingredients with a fork until they are well blended, then work the mixture by hand to make it perfectly homogeneous.
You can make a larger dose of beurre manié using the blender and store the balls in the freezer. Bring them to room temperature before using them
Step 3. Add the beurre manié to the sauce over the heat, one ball at a time
Stir until the sauce has incorporated, then bring it back to a boil and let it boil for at least 1 minute.
- Continue adding the beurre manié balls until the sauce has the right consistency.
- Beurre manié is an excellent option for thickening a sauce that has become too liquid after cooking.
- You can also use it to prepare a sauce with the cooking juices of meat or shellfish.
Method 3 of 4: Thicken a Cream with Egg Yolks
Step 1. Beat the egg yolks while heating them over low heat
Use one egg yolk for every 250ml of liquid to thicken. Beat the egg yolks until they have a smooth consistency.
If you are using fresh eggs, you will need to separate the yolks from the whites before whisking them
Step 2. Add 2 tablespoons of boiling water (30 ml) to the egg yolks
This step is used to heat and pasteurize the yolks. Boiling water will heat them, but only to some extent, so they won't cook.
Step 3. Add the egg yolks to the sauce and let it reduce over medium heat
The sauce should be hot by the time you add the egg yolks. Keep stirring as it simmers slowly.
Scrape the sides and bottom of the pot regularly as you stir to prevent the sauce from sticking or burning
Step 4. Let the sauce boil for 1 minute
Do not leave it on the stove long after it has reached the boiling point, one minute will be more than enough for it to thicken.
- Since the yolks are raw, you will need to measure the temperature of the sauce to avoid bacterial poisoning.
- Make sure it reaches 71 ° C to be safe.
Method 4 of 4: Alternatives to Corn Starch
Step 1. Make a mixture of water and flour to thicken a sauce that must have a creamy consistency
Mix the cold water and the flour in equal parts in a cup. Stir until you get a smooth mixture, then add it to the excessively runny sauce and let it simmer for 5 minutes.
As a general rule, use 2 teaspoons (3 g) of flour for every quart of liquid to thicken
Step 2. If the sauce is tomato based, let it reduce over the heat
This method takes a little longer than the others, but works very well with tomato-based sauces. Put the uncovered pot on the stove to let the excess liquid evaporate. Let the sauce reduce over medium heat until it reaches the consistency you want.
You can use this method to reduce homemade barbecue sauce
Step 3. Thicken the teriyaki sauce by letting it simmer
Teriyaki sauce is one of the few that thickens even with minimal heat. Remove the saucepan from the hot stove when the sauce begins to have the consistency of a syrup.
Step 4. Use pureed almonds or cashews for a vegan option
Leave the nuts to soak in the water until soft. At that point, blend it to make a puree, add it to the sauce and mix vigorously as it cooks over low heat.
This option is particularly suitable for thickening the sauces of Indian cuisine
Step 5. Use maranta starch if you are following the paleo diet
Maranta starch is also suitable for those who want to avoid gluten and cereals. It is tasteless, colorless and will make the sauce shinier as well as thicker.
