slow cooker help! need to thicken

Amber_Babies

If you want to add flour at the beginning of cooking (I do), use plain flour. Either add the flour to the meat, fry briefly & the top up with HOT stock. Or make a paste with cold water & plain flour & then add hot water / stock & pour over the meat. I use plain flour because I dont like the taste / texture of corn flour.

andygb

I may have missed it, but has anyone suggested reducing the cooking liquid by heating at a rolling boil on a hob (the liquid will slowly evaporate, thus thickening the mixture), then completing in an oven once it has reached the correct viscosity?

meritaten

andygb wrote: »

I may have missed it, but has anyone suggested reducing the cooking liquid by heating at a rolling boil on a hob (the liquid will slowly evaporate, thus thickening the mixture), then completing in an oven once it has reached the correct viscosity?

you COULD do it this way andy, but I dont, as if you thicken it at the beginning you run the danger of the casserole OVER thickening during cooking - if you then have too little liquid the meat will go dry and burn and it MAY get far too thick and gloopy.
if you wait until the end to thicken the sauce - you may have a nice surprise and it doesnt need thickening! also by thickening at the end of cooking with either cornflour (or arrowroot which works in much the same way), you control how thick the end product becomes.

sophistica

If you add cornflour at the beginning it will thicken initially and then after a period lose its thickening (not sure why) so you need to add the cornflour at the end (last 5 mins). It also sounds as if you are adding too much - 1 tablespoon mixed with water to a paste and then add to liquid in pan is enough. BTW no self respecting chef would ever use cornflour to thicken a recipe (so I am told) the cheffy way is to reduce the pan liquid with the lid off/or partly off. This slightly caramelises the ingredients and gives the best flavour.

kerleytops

I have used breadcrumbs and instant mash as thickeners though not at the same time.

valk_scot

I agree with everyone who says thickenb at the end of the cooking time, not before. I usually thicken by adding a thin cream of cornflour and water while stirring with the heat off then bring up to the boil. But if the sauce is very runny I'll pour most of it off into a seperate pan, reduce it over a rolling boil, add cornfour as above if required, back to the boil then return it to the main pan.

For some dark stews and gravies I use Bisto rather than straight cornflour. Not the instant granules (which are the work of the devil and taste vile imho) but the good old fashioned stuff you have to mix up and use like cornflour. Adds a good colour as well.

andygb

sophistica wrote: »

BTW no self respecting chef would ever use cornflour to thicken a recipe (so I am told) the cheffy way is to reduce the pan liquid with the lid off/or partly off. This slightly caramelises the ingredients and gives the best flavour.

:beer: I agree.
I have never added any thickening agents to any of my slow cooked/casserole dishes, and I do not know any chefs who do (or admit to it). The idea of a casserole, is that you keep the cooking juices in, they should not evaporate to any degree, the same applies to dishes cooked in a tagine. These dishes are all reduced down to nearly the final consistency prior to the lid going on and then being cooked at a relatively low heat for a long time.
Natural caramelisation simply adds to the overall flavour, and is characteristic of dishes such as Bouef Bourgignon and Lancashire Hotpot.

Steveswift

Hi all,

Just a general question whenever i cook something like a curry, stew or goulash and the like i find that my sauces are too thin. More like a juice or a liquid . I do add some thicking agent corn flower and the like but am i just not adding enough?

Also i tend not to cut my onions very small, i like bigger bits , i was wondering if this was affected the consistancy of my sauces ?

Any tips welcomed.

Steve

Rain_Shadow

Cook the sauces longer so that more of the liquid evaporates?

Emm-in-a-pickle

Cooking longer is one option but it`s easier to throw in a handful of oatmeal and stir it in. Healthy option too - and you`d never recognise it in a tasty stock. I`ve also used instant mash to thicken up a curry at the last minute, but this does separate a bit.