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Time For Reflection

This document discusses thickening agents used in sauces and soups. It explains that starches like amylose and amylopectin are used as thickening agents because starch granules can hold a high amount of liquid. There are two main techniques for using thickening agents: gelatinization which involves applying heat to a starch and liquid mixture, and making a roux which is a mixture of equal parts fat and flour used to thicken sauces. Butter is an important ingredient in thickening because it adds flavor and helps the sauce coat surfaces.

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410 views1 page

Time For Reflection

This document discusses thickening agents used in sauces and soups. It explains that starches like amylose and amylopectin are used as thickening agents because starch granules can hold a high amount of liquid. There are two main techniques for using thickening agents: gelatinization which involves applying heat to a starch and liquid mixture, and making a roux which is a mixture of equal parts fat and flour used to thicken sauces. Butter is an important ingredient in thickening because it adds flavor and helps the sauce coat surfaces.

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abby_grasta3267
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© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Abby Grasta Day 6: Time for Reflection

October 14, 2012 Block A

Cooking Theory and Food Science has been one of the most major learning experiences I have ever had in the culinary field. Each day brought a new set of skills and a new growth of knowledge that both enlightened me and provided me with a means to practice all that I had learned. Of all the valuable culinary ventures I have taken part in, one that especially struck my interest was the use of starches and thickeners in sauces and soups. Technically speaking, starches are defined as plant-derived, complex carbohydrates found in seeds and roots and molecularly formed in linear chains. Thickening agents use starches along with a liquid to give body and possibly flavor to a sauce or soup. A starch granule is made of two types of linear chains whose chemical names are amylose and amylopectin. Amylose is a form of starch with up to 500 molecules per strand, whereas amylopectin, the alternative starch, is a branched linear chain with 1300-1400 molecules per strand. Because of the high level of gel strength in starch granules, they have an especially increased ability to hold a high amount of liquid. A starch granule can hold 125% of its weight, which is why we, as chefs, use starch to thicken a liquid. The goal of any thickener is to produce a sauce that is lump-free, has a napp consistency (one that will coat the back of a spoon), will not separate or break after the sauces reduction, and does not have a floury taste. Detrimental to thickeners are prolonged boiling, the use of an acid, or the use of egg yolks, which will break the chains of amylose and amylopectin present in the starch granules. Other problems associated with thickeners are pre-gelatinization, which will occur when a starch has not been added to a liquid correctly. The starch can also release water, known as retrograde. There are typically two techniques in which a thickener is utilized. One of these methods is through gelatinization. A starch, liquid, and energy (through the application of heat) must be put into use in order to gelatinize a liquid. Generally, flour, cornstarch, and arrowroot are the most popular starches used to thicken sauces. Gelatinous thickeners include slurries, which are created when a starch and cold water are added together, then added to a simmering liquid to reach a gelation temperature of between 138 and 176 F, depending on the type of starch utilized. The second technique of building a thickening agent is through the making of a roux. A roux is probably the most popular method of thickening a sauce because it uses fat. Fat is not only helpful with thickening sauces, but it also gives sauces greater flavor and mouthfeel. A roux is equal parts, by weight, of fat and flour, made by using the singer method to add flour to melted fat. Then a liquid is added to this mixture to create the sauce. Often, butter is the most common fat used in a roux. White roux, blond roux, and brown roux are able to give flavor and color to a sauce, depending on the type of sauce desired. For instance, a bchamel should have little or no color, so a white roux is incorporated in the sauce. A brown roux, however, is used to produce and a dark color and nutty aroma to a sauce. We also can use beurre manie (literally, kneaded butter) to finish a sauce if it is not thick enough. Butter is crucial in the process of thickening because of the intense flavors given off to complement the dish in a sauce. A plethora of sauces are created from roux, including espagnole, bchamel, veloute, and sometimes tomato sauce. This is why butter is so important in the use of thickening agents to create sauces.

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