Making extra thick stew
How does one make a thick soup, like Campbell's Chunky brand beef stew?
I have already tried flour*, but it didn't work the way I was hoping. I'm cooking home-made beef bone brothers based stews.
Any suggestions?
* I added a whole cup and a half of flour slurry to about 2.5 gallons of stew, but it didn't have the thickness I was looking for. It also made the soup (borsch) look like greenish sewage water when it shpuld have just made it pink if anything
Best Answer
The method that I learned from an Irish co-worker is to add instant potato flakes. You're basically making really runny mashed potatoes. As stew is often thickened by the starch from the outside of whatever potatoes are in there, it won't throw off the flavor.
I've found that I can hold back a potato from the stew that I shred directly into the pot after everything else is cooked to the degree that I want, but while it's still near a simmer. It will break down in minutes and thicken the stew. You might need to try it to find out how much potato you need for the viscosity that you like.
I suspect that the amount will change with the type of potato. I typically use yellow (medium starch) potatoes. I suspect that russet (starchy/floury) potatoes would work well, but that red (waxy) potatoes may require more and longer cooking to break down.
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How do I increase the thickness of my stew?
Whisk a teaspoon of flour in a little cold water to make a slurry, then stir into the stew as it's cooking. Don't add dry flour directly to the stew as it may clump. After adding the slurry, bring the stew to boil. This will cook out the flour taste and allow the starch to swell.Is it better to thicken stew with flour or cornstarch?
Conclusion: Both cornstarch and flour are effective at thickening soup when you take the proper steps. Remember, cornstarch absorbs more water and is better at thickening in general. However, flour is better when needed in large quantities to avoid upsetting the flavor of the dish.How do I make my stew less watery?
Thin, watery stews are easily thickened by adding flour. You can use any flour, from regular white flour to more nutritious flours like cassava or chickpea flour. If you want to add flour to thicken your stew, you'll need to first make a roux \u2014 a mixture of flour and fat.Does covering stew make it thicker?
Cooking a soup, stew, or sauce uncovered allows water to evaporate, so if your goal is to reduce a sauce or thicken a soup, skip the lid. The longer you cook your dish, the more water that will evaporate and the thicker the liquid becomes\u2014that means the flavors become more concentrated, too.Stew Recipes - How to Thicken a Stew
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Answer 2
I've never used slurry and only rarely use flour for thickening. Some ideas:
- thickening requires some time and heat. Is it possible you added it too late?
- too much liquid will cancel out the thickening. If the solid ingredients don't mind a bit more cooking you can reduce the stew a bit.
- corn starch is a more potent thickening agent. This could help with the visuals.
- is it possible your slurry was too thin? Adding both more water and less thickening agent than intended could be an explanation for your lack of success.
Answer 3
What I usually do is cook stew for an extended period of time. Not only is the water reduced, through evaporation, but ingredients will start to break down - and this will thicken the liquid with little particles and released starches from the outer edges of vegetables, etc disintegrating.
a quicker method might be to separate some of the stew out, and mash or puree it for the same mechanical advantage of ingredient debris, but taking less cooking time.
As for not being pleased with your flour slurry, it might help to try some different things. I usually thicken with a roux instead of a simple slurry (flour fried in oil before adding to liquid), which ends up darker, and has more flavor (from mailliard reactions, as the flour browns, and the oil/butter used). broth from the stew can also be used, to avoid adding additional liquid to the stew broth.
Answer 4
Have you tried increasing the amount of slurry? If you make your flour slurry with beef broth (assuming it's a beef stew- use chicken stock for lamb stew) instead of water you can add more slurry without making the stew too bland.
Answer 5
I've always had great results with cornstarch. Too much flour imparts a flavor I'm not fond of. In stews, I usually start with a half cup of water and 2 or 3 tablespoons of cornstarch mixed well. Sometimes I need more, sometimes it's just right. A friend of mine uses a thickener called Wonder. I've never used it, but never have complaints when eating her food.
Answer 6
Have you tried to use Arrow Root as the thickener? Also, make sure to add it near the end of the cooking process. Check out this link for more info. http://www.onegreenplanet.org/vegan-food/how-to-cook-with-arrowroot-powder/
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