thickening stews for the crockpot

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thickening stews for the crockpot
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Nell Merionwen

Joined: 02 Jun 2008
Posts: 16300
Location: Beautiful Derbyshire

Posted: Mon Jan 02, 12 5:50 pm Post subject: thickening stews for the crockpot
any hints and tips? I do love my crockpot but still find it hard to get a good thickness in stews and sauces. Ma always seems to get it right but when questioned it seems she more or less cooks it on the hob and then just uses the crockpot to keep it warm. Surely that is defeating the object?

sally_in_wales
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 06 Mar 2005
Posts: 20809
Location: sunny wales

Posted: Mon Jan 02, 12 5:53 pm Post subject:
cornflour added at the last moment before serving if it looks thin? Thats how my mum always did it and its fairly foolproof, just a teaspoon of cornflour in a dash of water then add to the simmering potion 5 minutes before its needed. Otherwise, a handful of barley will thicken up stews very nicely

sean
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 42207
Location: North Devon

Posted: Mon Jan 02, 12 5:55 pm Post subject:
Lentils in the sauce? Or cornflour as Sally suggested.

earthyvirgo

Joined: 24 Aug 2007
Posts: 7972
Location: creating prints in the loft, Gerlan

Posted: Mon Jan 02, 12 5:56 pm Post subject:

sally_in_wales wrote:

cornflour added at the last moment before serving if it looks thin? Thats how my mum always did it and its fairly foolproof, just a teaspoon of cornflour in a dash of water then add to the simmering potion 5 minutes before its needed.

Otherwise, a handful of barley will thicken up stews very nicely

I've found you can get away with the same measure of wholemeal plain or spelt, or even gram flour mixed with a bit of the cooking liquid and back into the pot is less floury than cornflour.

EV

Mustang

Joined: 15 Jul 2005
Posts: 768
Location: Sunny Suffolk

Posted: Mon Jan 02, 12 5:57 pm Post subject:
I use cornflour, and also my own dehydrated potato powder. Cornflour is probably the simplest

oldish chris

Joined: 14 Jun 2006
Posts: 4148
Location: Comfortably Wet Southport

Posted: Mon Jan 02, 12 6:04 pm Post subject:
Spuds, boiled for ages, cooled down and re-heated (in the stock).

gz

Joined: 23 Jan 2009
Posts: 8605
Location: Ayrshire, Scotland

Posted: Mon Jan 02, 12 6:21 pm Post subject:
okra

Green Rosie

Joined: 13 May 2007
Posts: 10498
Location: Calvados, France

Posted: Mon Jan 02, 12 6:28 pm Post subject:

gz wrote:

okra

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 45475
Location: yes

Posted: Mon Jan 02, 12 6:43 pm Post subject:
continuous rather than batch is best high carb roots long boiled animal connective tissues flours (butter and flour mixed together and stirred in in the last 20 mins is a rescue of stew )

arvo

Joined: 04 Dec 2006
Posts: 3321
Location: Somerset

Posted: Mon Jan 02, 12 8:42 pm Post subject:
I go for whatever flour's in the cupboard, chuck it in a tbs of water to make it liquid then bung it in stew and stir like heck till it thickens (else it can go lumpy). Then I check and see what colour it is if I'm doing sauce or gravy and if its too pale, bung a dash of dark soy sauce in.

Bebo

Joined: 21 May 2007
Posts: 12590
Location: East Sussex

Posted: Mon Jan 02, 12 8:45 pm Post subject:
beurre manie

TTouch Homestead

Joined: 13 Oct 2011
Posts: 703
Location: Cardigan, West Wales

Posted: Mon Jan 02, 12 8:47 pm Post subject:
We have an American crockpot recipe book and it mentions using tapioca in almost every recipe. I was sceptical, to say the least but gave it benefit of doubt and it works -no frogspawn like stuff, it seems to sort of disappear

gz

Joined: 23 Jan 2009
Posts: 8605
Location: Ayrshire, Scotland

Posted: Mon Jan 02, 12 8:50 pm Post subject:

arvo wrote:

I go for whatever flour's in the cupboard, chuck it in a tbs of water to make it liquid then bung it in stew and stir like heck till it thickens (else it can go lumpy).

Then I check and see what colour it is if I'm doing sauce or gravy and if its too pale, bung a dash of dark soy sauce in.

Mix it in a small bowl with a little cold liquid til smooth, then add some hot liquid, stir then mix in...less likelihood of lumps

12Bore

Joined: 15 Jun 2008
Posts: 9089
Location: Paddling in the Mersey

Posted: Mon Jan 02, 12 8:56 pm Post subject:
Coating meat in seasoned flour before browning before slow cooking or casseroling usually works for me.

Katieowl

Joined: 01 Jun 2006
Posts: 4317
Location: West Wales

Posted: Mon Jan 02, 12 8:57 pm Post subject:
Gravy granules... or cornflour. Kate

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