One of my readers wanted to learn more about gluten-free cooking. If you are on a gluten-free diet you are already aware that you can no longer use white flour to thicken your gravies and sauces. A great substitute is potato flour. I use it in recipes such as beef stew.
Brown Gravies
- I place about 1 tablespoon of potato flour in a small left-over container and add about 4 tablespoons of water; cover with a lid; and shake vigorously. You can also use 1 part cornstarch and 2 parts water, if you can tolerate corn.
- I slowly pour the flour mixture into my broth and stir as I am pouring it in. It will take a little while to thicken and as with any flour, as the mixture cools it will become even thicker.
Asian Dishes
For Asian dishes I like to use tapioca flour, as this is sweeter. It acts much like corn starch, but a healthier choice, per my nutritionist.
- I just add this in to my recipe on the stove, without any water. It melts right in.
Other Ways of Thickening Sauces
You can use potatoes, rice, beans and vegetables to thicken sauces by over-cooking them. Once they break down they naturally thicken a sauce.
Tip
I heard that you can also use arrowroot versus the other starches listed above, but I have not yet tried it myself.
I hope you find this helpful!
