Realizing how to make sauces is an essential kitchen ability. As well as can be expected to make up for a dry bit of chicken, however, the worst sauce will certainly ruin any dish. There are three basic ways to thicken liquids, but they all have to do with gelatinization of starches, where starch molecules absorb liquids and swell. This is what thickens sauces.
The quickest and easiest way to thicken a flavorful liquid is something that Grandma has been accomplishing for a considerable length of time. She makes quick and easy gravy from turkey drippings with cornstarch slurry. Cornstarch slurry essentially means dissolving some cornstarch in liquid. This can be the same liquid that’s the basis for your gravy, or a different flavor entirely. This is particularly helpful in an Asian stir-fry. Once you’re done cutting vegetables and you’ve cooked all your proteins and vegetables and added some chicken or vegetable broth, slurry with soy sauce is the ideal thickener that also adds flavor.
The speediest path how to make sauces is with this technique, however, cornstarch leaves a glassy taste, and every sauce is reminiscent of Asian cuisine. The tastiest thickening specialist for sauces is a roux. This is the turkey sauce thickener that Grandma ignored. Roux is a mix of starch and fat. While it’s regularly spread and flour, it tends to be any sort of fat and starch. It’s anything but difficult to make a roux, and after only a couple of attempts, you’ll be a genius. It’s melting butter in a saucepan and whisking in flour until it resembles a thick paste. Then, cook the roux until it starts to bubble, turns whiter, and gives off a nutty smell.
Presently you’ve cooked all the proteins out of the flour so you don’t get a pasty taste. This cooked roux can be used to thicken any liquid. This is my preferred method to make Macaroni and Cheese. Milk is added to roux until it’s the ideal thickness before my preferred cheddar is added. If you can make a smooth roux reliably, you realize how to make sauces of all different varieties. The main thing that changes is the liquid you’ve chosen to thicken.
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