Three Ways to Thicken Sauce (Cornstarch, Roux, Beurre Manie) | Cook's Illustrated (2024)

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Three Ways to Thicken Sauce (Cornstarch, Roux, Beurre Manie) | Cook's Illustrated? ›

Cornstarch, arrowroot, and potato starch are almost pure starches and produce shiny sauces, whereas flour contains protein, which gives flour-thickened sauces a slightly mat appearance.

Cornstarch, arrowroot, and potato starch are almost pure starches and produce shiny sauces, whereas flour contains protein, which gives flour-thickened sauces a slightly mat appearance.

The methods for preparing a small sauce from a mother sauce include the sauté and deglaze method, the reduction method, and the gastrique method.

In terms of thickening, the important part of the roux is the flour, or specifically, the starch in the flour. Cooking a starch causes it to expand and gelatinize, absorbing liquid like a sponge. Think of the way rice or oatmeal absorb water and swell up when you cook them.

Roux (pronounced "roo") is a mixture of equal parts (by weight) fat and flour that is used for thickening sauces and soups. Traditionally, roux is made with clarified butter, but you can use fats such as lard, bacon fat, or vegetable oil too.

Refined starches are popular as thickening agents because they are lighter than a roux, neutral-flavored, and swell quickly when added to hot liquids. Refined starches, including arrowroot, cornstarch, potato starch, and rice flour, are also preferred alternatives for gluten-intolerant diets.

Roux begins to thicken soon after it is combined with a liquid, but it must be simmered for 10 to 20 minutes in order to reach its full flavor and thickening potential. This additional cooking time allows the flour to soften and absorb the liquid, resulting in a silky smooth soup or sauce.

Cornstarch, arrowroot, tapioca, guar gum, carrageenan, pectin, and xantham gum are all polysaccharides. While they each work a bit differently and have different thickening properties, they all thicken for the same reason. They absorb liquid, thereby thickening the mass.

When to use a roux vs beurre manie? ›

The main purpose of a beurre manie is to thicken the consistency of a sauce or soup at the end of cooking, as opposed to the beginning like with a roux. This means that small and precise adjustments can be made, whereas roux is harder to modify once the liquid has been incorporated.

The three main ingredients you can use to thicken a soup are flour, cornstarch, and xantham gum.

Cornstarch is an extremely effective thickener that works very quickly. One of its benefits is that it doesn't change the flavor of your sauce, just binds the liquid with starch molecules for a silkier, stiffer texture.

Starches. This category includes starches as arrowroot, cornstarch, katakuri starch, potato starch, sago, wheat flour, almond flour, tapioca and their starch derivatives.