How to thicken any sauce

A sauce is a liquid, a thickening agent and a portion of the flavoring substances substantially. For example, in a hollandaise sauce, the liquid butter is melted, and the thickening agent is egg yolk. In a beurre blanc, the liquid is likely to be reduced wine and / or vinegar and butter thickener.

In a bechamel sauce, the liquid milk and the thickening agent is a combination of butter and flour called a roux.

Roux is the thickening agent in a velvety sauce, in which the liquid chicken broth, fish broth or beef. A brown sauce or Spanish, is a bit more complicated, but is actually a background of brown and red liquid thickener.

Red, as you can see, is widespread. Roux is equal parts (by weight) of flour and butter is. First, melt the butter (clarified butter works best), then add the flour and cook for a few minutes or perhaps several minutes, depending on what kind of sauce you make. Then you can whip the liquid into the roux and simmer for a while. Sauce is more or less the same way now, but you are usually the juices from a piece of meat or poultry roast only.

Why flour to thicken the sauce, anyway? What happens is, the thickness expands to absorb water, and the effect is to thicken the sauce. You can learn about a sauce thickened with roux more.

Another technique is to combine the raw butter and flour into a paste, then add small pea-sized pieces of dough, called roux, the liquid boils.

A similar method is, the corn starch and cold water is known to form a so-called suspension, the suspension is then added to the hot liquid. You can read more about how to get to thicken a sauce with cornstarch.

Another technique is to use a combination of egg yolks and cream as a bonus. You do not have to moderate clot the link for the eggs. You will see this technique used in the preparation of sauces such as German classical sauce.

And do not forget reduction, if you simmer is evaporated just to thickened sauce until some of the liquid. There are various other methods as well, described some of them pretty secret or simply variations herein (such as the use of different flour instead of flour or different outer butterfat) methods.

See also: Can I replace flour with cornstarch?