Sauce Thickening agent

#1

I have just thickened a sauce (that was already in my dinner) with psyllium husk…:stuck_out_tongue_closed_eyes: It ruined my dinner and it’s my only meal today. Disgusted!

(Brian) #2

What kind of sauce? Maybe we could offer suggestions if we knew what you were trying for.

:frowning:

(Consensus is Politics) #3

Here’s my takeaway, don’t experiment with something new when it matters if it’s a failure. :wink:

Also… when it comes to cooking, the one thing I do know is this… you can always add more, but you can’t remove any. I think I got that from my grandma. When I want to test something like that, I put a little sauce on the side and add in a bit of the thickener, and take note how much I used ratio-wise. If it’s a success, I now know how much to use. If it fails, well, “at least I got chicken”.

[extra geek points if you get the reference] :sunglasses:

#4

It was a stroganoff sauce. I just made it with chicken stock, creme fraiche, cream cheese , mustard and HWC.

#5

@Robert_Johnson Great advice :blush:

#6

I found a great Butter Chicken Curry recipe that calls for xanthum gum but I can’t buy that here. What can I use instead?

(Deborah ) #7

Not sure where you’re located, but I bought a bag on Amazon. Haven’t used it, yet, but bought it because I kept seeing recipes referring to it for thickening. I believe the trick with it is that you don’t add it to boiling liquid, just hot. :slight_smile:

#8

I’ve used xantham gum and haven’t been super impressed. From my understanding the thickening happens after the sauce cools, and who wants cold gravy? So I usually reduce the sauce and/or use a small amount of cornstarch. 1 tsp has 2.4g carbs, which I can live with.

(Bacon is a many-splendoured thing) #9

Ditto . . . sspecially when making a lot of sauce, to be shared by several people.

#10

Have you ever used flaxseed (linseed)?

(Banting & Yudkin & Atkins & Eadeses & Cordain & Taubes & Volek & Naiman & Bikman ) #11

If you’re not failing, you’re not learning.

That stuff can be verry hard on your intestines too.

There’s some great stuff on thickening agents here:


Specifically page 120 through 122.

Not discussed in there, Sodium Citrate… given the amount of dairy in that, a wee bit of sodium citrate and maybe sodium hexametaphosphate should set it up nicely.

More simply, I find less chicken stock, and more HWC, with some heat and time will thicken nicely.

(Bob M) #12

I usually use arrowroot. Most places say not to “overheat” arrowroot, but I’ve boiled it and it still does OK. I usually see how thick I can get it, then add butter, or cream, or sour cream, and if that doesn’t work, arrowroot.

(Laurie) #13

I’ve never had real creme fraiche, so I don’t know whether it’s a vital ingredient or not. I suggest using either less creme fraiche or less HWC, and adding more cream cheese. Cream cheese is good for thickening sauces. And reduce the liquid by using either less chicken stock or reduced (more flavor, less water) chicken stock.

(Running from stupidity) #14

I usually agree with you 100 percent, but this time it’s completely reversed. You learn different things from success and failure, but can learn from both :slight_smile:

(Sophie) #15

Same here. I don’t sweat a tablespoon or two of cornstarch, especially since we never eat all the gravy anyway.

(Norma Laming) #16

Puréed cauliflower does well especially if leftover. Courgettes/ zucchini are amazing for thickening. Otherwise just don’t thicken?

#17

I made the butter chicken curry tonight - it was lovely. The recipe called for almond flour which thickened and I added a tiny bit of flaxseed and it was perfect :grin:

(Scott Cavendish) #18

The Ketovangelist Kitchen podcast has a whole episode on thickeners, #26. Goes over the differences in xantham gum, guar gum, and konjack powder and when to use each. Well worth the listen.

(KCKO, KCFO) #19

Those are all great thickeners. Did you rush it and not let it reduce down?

Sorry your meal was ruined. Psyllium husk powder will give a keto brea

d stronger protein threads so the bread has a better texture, but most brands will make the bread dark.

Ditto. I rarely use the thickening food stuffs I bought to thicken things since I learned to relax and let the chemistry take care of things. Reduction RULES.

(Brian) #20

Lots of good advice above.

I did buy a box of xanthan gum quite a while back. It’s got a bunch of little packs in it, kinda reminds me of the individual packs of sweetener, like Sweet-n-low or Splenda, that kind of package. I’ve had the box for probably longer than six months and I’m only on my second of those small individual packages.

I use very little of it, but when I do use it, a little tiny bit really does thicken stuff really well. I haven’t used it for gravies yet, just never think much about that. I’ve used it mostly for things like fruit syrups, which I use in place of pancake syrup, and occasionally in a keto cake or dessert. Gravies and creamed spinach and things like that have a tendency to get thickened by cream cheese or reduction methods above.

The times I’ve used psyllium husk have resulted in rather … explosive… consequences. Holy mother of all things lower intestinal! I have a recipe for keto naan that is delicious. But I wouldn’t want to be too far from the bathroom shortly after eating it. Dang, that is potent stuff. It might have been good for someone needing the laxative effect or maybe for some kind of a cleanse. Haven’t used any for quite some time.