sauces simply by flour can have the following reasons: 1. Re-thickening a sauce that is not sufficiently thick. 2. Reducing the energy content of a sauce by not using fat as a thickener. Thickening sauces simply by flour does not require any additional butter or fat (as is usually the case in a Roux). The following methods apply: a) for dark sauces: Mix flour with a little tomato puree and red wine until reaching a liquid consistency, b) for white sauces: mix flour with milk until reaching a liquid consistency, c) for all other white sauces: mix flour with water or, according to taste, with white wine until reaching a liquid consistency. In any case, pass through a sieve and add to gently boiling liquid, stirring the sauce vigorously until the desired consistency is reached. Important to note: Continue to gently boil sauce thickened with flour for at least 10 minutes, stirring it frequently so that the starch granules swell and the optimum thickening degree is reached without affecting the taste.
Roux
Sweating flour in fat has two advantages: 1. Starch turns into dextrin and thus loses its floury taste. 2. Flour is bound by fat as a “transportation vehicle” and dissolves more easily in the liquid / sauce. We differentiate between white and brown Roux. The thickening ratio for 1 litre of liquid / sauce: 40 g (1 1/3 oz) of butter or fat (coconut fat, margarine etc.) and 50 g (2 oz) of flour. a) White Roux for all white sauces: Slowly heat fat, and gently cook flour for one to two minutes over low heat. b) Brown Roux for all brown sauces: Slowly heat fat and gently roast and brown flour for approximately 30 minutes over low heat. In both cases: Add the warm liquid / sauce to the Roux which is still hot, bring to the boil, frequently stirring the sauce or alternatively place cooled down Roux in hot liquid / sauce and dissolve, stirring frequently. It is recommended to add hot liquid to cold Roux. Reason: The sauce boils up more quickly and the risk of burning is thus reduced.
Roux Clair
1. Melt butter and heat it without browning it.
2. Add flour and mix with butter.
3. Gently sweat flour for a maximum of 2 minutes without browning it.
1. Melt butter and heat it without browning it.
2. Add flour and mix with butter.
3. Gently sweat flour for a maximum of 2 minutes without browning it.
Roux Brun
1. Melt butter and heat it without browning it.
2. Add flour and mix with butter, stirring constantly.
3. Slowly increase temperature until reaching desired colour (resembling hazel colour).
1. Melt butter and heat it without browning it.
2. Add flour and mix with butter, stirring constantly.
3. Slowly increase temperature until reaching desired colour (resembling hazel colour).
Beurre Manié (Kneaded Butter)
Beurre Manié is in particular used when re-thickening sauces. The thickening ratio for 1 litre (1 3/4 pt or 4 1/2 U.S. cups) of liquid / sauce (Fond de Veau Brun or Blanc (Brown or White Veal Stock)): 50 g (2 oz) of butter (you may also use other fats, like coconut fat, margarine etc.) and 50 g (2 oz) of flour. Knead together butter and flour. Add Beurre Manié to hot, yet not boiling Sauce and dissolve, stirring constantly. Continue to gently boil sauce for at least another 7 minutes to dissolve the flour completely and remove the floury taste.
Amidon de Ble (Wheat Starch [rice, corn, potato or arrowroot starch, and others])
Depending on the type of starch used, the thickening ratio varies strongly. All starches except rice flour must be dissolved in a cold liquid before use. Add subsequently to hot, but not boiling liquid, stirring it constantly. Starches begin to thicken best from 80 °Celsius and lose some (approx. 10 %) of their thickening power above 90 °Celsius. This is why they are added shortly before serving. Starches provide thickened sauces with a silky shine and do not have to boil through. They are particularly suited for the short-term (re-)thickening of sauces because they do not have a specific aftertaste, other than flour.
LIANTS POUR SAUCE, PRODUITS INDUSTRIELLEMENT (Commercial Sauce Thickeners)
Modern, commercially produced sauce thickeners are based upon starch. Through special processing procedures, e.g. freeze-drying or roller drying, immediate solubility is reached (instant products). There is no “caking” when stirring it into hot or cold liquids. The thickening power and temperature of sauce thickener is the same as for starch.
CREME – Double, SAUCES, AIGRE (Cream – Double, Whipping, Sour)
Sauces thickened with cream only will have a rather liquid consistency. They give the impression of relatively light sauces. The truth, however, is that such sauces have a higher energy content than sauces thickened with flour or starches. On the one hand, whole cream or half-and-half are added, and then reduced to reach the desired texture. On the other hand, adding cream is intended to improve the sauce. One can reach a stronger thickening result by folding in the cream or sour cream to the hot, but not boiling sauce just before serving. Sour cream goes well in some sauces (Sauces aux Champignons, Sauces Venaison), but it is by far not the perfect match for all sauces. Before adding it to the sauce, add sour cream to a small amount of sauce and check taste. Here the same principle applies in respect of salt and spices: what has been added is in the sauce – you can always add something to it, but you can never remove anything from it!
Which type of cream to use depends mostly on one’s individual taste. Single cream: whipping cream, between 30 to 36 % milkfat. Double cream / Crème double at least 40 % / milkfat, in Switzerland 45 % milkfat. Half cream 25 % milkfat. Sour cream: light sour cream with at least 10 % milkfat, smetana (sour cream) with 20 to 29 % and crème fraîche with at least 30 % milkfat.
Jaune d’œuf (Egg Yolk)
Egg yolk is often used to thicken desserts, in case of savoury sauces it is usually used in combination with cream or to bind butter and oil sauces. The use of egg yolk as a thickener is a delicate matter because it coagulates from 83 °Celsius and starts to clot, yet its maximum thickening power is only reached just underneath that threshold, i.e. at temperatures between 80° to 82 °Celsius. Thickening sauces with egg yolk therefore requires experience and an exact working method (e.g. when whisking Butter Sauces).
As an alternative, one may use the following, slightly outdated egg yolk method: strain a boiled egg yolk through a fine sieve, put into mortar or food processor and crush with a little bit of cream. Stir this mixture into hot liquid, boil through, stirring the sauce vigorously, and strain through cheesecloth. Coagulated or hard-boiled egg yolk does not lose its thickening power.
Liaison (Thickening with Egg Yolk and Cream)
The thickening ratio for 1 litre (1 3/4 pt or 4 1/2 U.S. cups) of liquid / sauce: 1 to 2 egg yolks and 100 to 200 ml (3
