Sauces · 13 / 15
Thicken a sauce
Three honest ways: reduce it, add a roux, or add a starch slurry.
When to use it
Gravy, stew, curry, and any sauce that is tasty but thin.
- 1
Reduction: simmer uncovered. Taste as it thickens. Season at the end because salt concentrates.
- 2
Roux: equal parts butter and flour, cooked a minute, then whisk in hot liquid.
- 3
Slurry: stir cornstarch into cold water until smooth, then whisk it into a simmer. It only thickens at a bubble.
- 4
A handful of grated potato or a torn slice of bread will body a soup without flour.
- 5
Stop when it coats a spoon. It thickens more as it cools.
You are done when
A line drawn on the back of a spoon holds for a second.
Watch out
- A lump of dry flour stirred into hot liquid.
- A slurry added off the boil, then adding more because nothing happened.