Sunday, May 1, 2011

Sauces and Gravies

Yesterday I wrote about Roux.  It was very basic but it did give you the idea of how to make it and how to use it.  Today I want to talk about slurries.
Slurry is a mixture of water and some type of flour used to thicken soups, gravies, or sauces. The typical slurry most people use is cornstarch and water.  This is a good way if your dish is already done and you need some last minute thickening.   However, once the liquid has come to a boil, that is the extent of thickening for slurry. If you need it thicker you have to add more which can change the taste of the dish.  For those who use regular flour and water, that too will work. However the temperature of the liquid is not hot enough to cook the flour and remove the raw flour taste.  So again it depends on what you are cooking.
In wok cooking you often use a slurry of cornstarch to thicken the sauce. It is always added at the last to make sure that it thickens and does not break.  Slurries can break down over time and leave you with a thinned out liquid.
Let me know your questions or comments. Thanks – have a great day!!