gravy

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Evening Marci – Starches are usually used rather than flours as thickeners along with the reduced pan drippings to create a slurry or roux. Each type of starch has a different property and use. The most common problem with creating gravies is not knowing the properties such as the stability factor and hold strength of the starch which usually leaves the cook creating a thinner gravy. Based on your question, I will assume that you are making a roux-based gravy which is equal parts fat and flour plus liquid. A roux with butter, pan drippings, and cornstarch (the most common starch used for sauces and gravies) will work just as well (and taste like) a flour-based gravy, plus it will not need as long of a cooking time as a flour-based gravy. Wheat Flour/Starch – Creates a heavy gravy that is opaque with a dull surface Corn Starch – Creates a light gravy that is clear and glossy but adds some flavor. Corn starch is twice as strong thickening strength as flour so less is needed and blends much more easily. It does reduce the strength of the seasoning so more seasoning may need to be added. Potato Starch – Potato starch is a very strong starch so very little is needed to create a gravy but you cannot overheat it because if it gets passed a boiled state it will revert the gravy to a thin sauce. Arrowroot Starch – – Creates a light gravy that is clear and is flavorless. This is probably the best starch for making gravies and sauces that thicken before getting to the boiling point and are used immediately. Arrowroot-thickened sauces and gravies do not hold up well to reheating. Tapioca Starch – It has no flavor and creates an almost clear gravy. It works quite well if you do not need to heat the gravy to a high temperature. When having to cook quickly for a lot of people, I prefer tapioca starch. Best, Joe Joe Hertzbach831.531.7422joe@...Twitter: http://twitter.com/pelesoven From: [mailto: ] On Behalf Of Marci RisemanSent: Monday, November 22, 2010 2:46 PMCeliac ListSubject: [ ] gravy Is it possible to substitute another flour for wheat flour in a regular gravy recipe? If so, which flour is best? I figured I'd try rice.Thanks,Marci

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Good Morning Marci – The plural is roux, since roux in French means “red†and in this case it is a noun. Yes, the gravy will not be as dark because you cannot cook the rice as long as wheat, but you can still get a nice brown gravy if that is your intention. Also, the pan drippings will develop the darkness. If you slim off the thin layer of fat from the drippings, the gravy will be darker as well as a little thicker. Have a happy holiday. Cheers, Joe Joe Hertzbach831.531.7422joe@...Twitter: http://twitter.com/pelesoven From: [mailto: ] On Behalf Of Marci RisemanSent: Wednesday, November 24, 2010 9:03 AM Subject: Re: [ ] gravy Thanks, Joe! I'm going to try white rice and see how it goes. Will the roux not darken the way wheat-based rouxs do? (Is rouxs really the plural of roux?) Marci From: Joe Hertzbach <joe@...> Sent: Mon, November 22, 2010 10:27:03 PMSubject: RE: [ ] gravyEvening Marci – You are most welcome. I have used brown rice flour with a 1:9 solution for the roux. It is a darker, richer flavor, but I like it better with meat than fowl-based gravies. I have found that white rice flour works for fowl-based gravies substituting equal amount of rice flour to the wheat flour. At the first restaurant I worked at in the 80’s, we used regular rice four and would melt the fat over low heat, then add the rice flour to create a paste that is a light brown color. (With a wheat-based roux, the longer you cook, the darker the gravy) Then stirring slowly, whisking in the sauce to combine and once combined raising the heat to a medium/medium high until thickened. I think that white rice-based gravies have a slight aftertaste and also more mucus generated at the back of the throat than other starch-based gravies, though, I bet most people would never, ever notice. The constant whisking is required because the bottom of the pan will burn the gravy. If it sits too long it may also gelatinize and reprocessing will then thin the gravy too much. Cheers, Joe Joe Hertzbach831.531.7422joe@...Twitter: http://twitter.com/pelesoven From: [mailto: ] On Behalf Of Marci RisemanSent: Monday, November 22, 2010 9:57 PM Subject: Re: [ ] gravy Thanks everyone for your ideas. Joe, thanks for that comprehensive explanation! The gravy I've always made is roux-based, from Cooks Illustrated. It's amazing, so delicious, major crowd pleaser. It only calls for a half cup of flour, and I was hoping I could just substitute with the same amount of rice flour. Have you tried that? I've read that corn starch does what you described potato starch doing, breaking down when boiled. If using a starch (sounds like corn starch and tapioca are the most likely candidates), do you skip the long slow whisking/cooking that you do for a roux? I don't have to boil the gravy--there is one step where boiling occurs but that's for the pan drippings, which are later mixed with the roux and turkey broth. Thanks,Marci From: Joe Hertzbach <joe@...> Sent: Mon, November 22, 2010 9:44:24 PMSubject: RE: [ ] gravyEvening Marci – Starches are usually used rather than flours as thickeners along with the reduced pan drippings to create a slurry or roux. Each type of starch has a different property and use. The most common problem with creating gravies is not knowing the properties such as the stability factor and hold strength of the starch which usually leaves the cook creating a thinner gravy. Based on your question, I will assume that you are making a roux-based gravy which is equal parts fat and flour plus liquid. A roux with butter, pan drippings, and cornstarch (the most common starch used for sauces and gravies) will work just as well (and taste like) a flour-based gravy, plus it will not need as long of a cooking time as a flour-based gravy. Wheat Flour/Starch – Creates a heavy gravy that is opaque with a dull surface Corn Starch – Creates a light gravy that is clear and glossy but adds some flavor. ! Corn starch is twice as strong thickening strength as flour so less is needed and blends much more easily. It does reduce the strength of the seasoning so more seasoning may need to be added. Potato Starch – Potato starch is a very strong starch so very little is needed to create a gravy but you cannot overheat it because if it gets passed a boiled state it will revert the gravy to a thin sauce. Arrowroot Starch – – Creates a light gravy that is clear and is flavorless. This is probably the best starch for making gravies and sauces that thicken before getting to the boiling point and are used immediately. Arrowroot-thickened sauces and gravies do not hold up well to reheating. Tapioca Starch – It has no flavor and creates an almost clear gravy. It works quite well if you do not need to heat the gravy to a high temperature. When having to cook quickly for a lot of people, I prefer tapioca starch. Best, Joe Joe Hertzbach831.531.7422joe@...Twitter: http://twitter.com/pelesoven From: [mailto: ] On Behalf Of Marci RisemanSent: Monday, November 22, 2010 2:46 PM Celiac ListSubject: [ ] gravy Is it possible to substitute another flour for wheat flour in a regular gravy recipe? If so, which flour is best? I figured I'd try rice.Thanks,Marci