You’re putting together a delicious meat stew. It has a delicate flavor, and however, even after a long simmer, it’s still a little watery. You want your stew to be thicker than a bowl of soup. That is one of the fundamental contrasts between the two dishes. So, how can you achieve the lustrous, rich results you desire? We guarantee you’ll find the answer.
How to Thicken Stew?
Using Regular Flour
- Meat chunks should be tossed in flour before browning. Flour aids in the thickening of stew while it cooks. Then, make a slurry using a teaspoon of flour and a little cold water.
- Then, while the stew is cooking, mix it into it.
- After adding the slurry, heat the stew to a boil. The flour taste will be eliminated, and the starch will swell.
- Before adding additional, start with a teaspoon and bring to a boil. We should not add dry flour to the stew since it will clump.
Using Corn Flour
Add 1 tablespoon cornflour at room temperature. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until desired thickness is achieved. Corn flour is a gluten-free thickening that works well. It does, however, have a little more gelatinous feel.
Only use a teaspoon at a time; otherwise, your sauce will get clumps. Cooking your stew for an extended amount of time might cause the starch to break down, causing it to thin out again. Instead, use cornstarch to thicken it near the end of cooking.
How to Thicken Stew Without Flour or Corn Flour?
A basic sauce reduction will suffice if you don’t want to add flour or cornflour. Allow your sauce to simmer, uncovered, over low heat to evaporate any excess liquid. Remove any meat or large vegetable bits before reducing your sauce.
Other components in chunks will impede a high-quality reduction, and the contents may overcook. The reduced sauce thickens and concentrates the flavors, although it takes longer than the other methods.
The BeurreManie Method
The BeurreManie Method is a method developed by BeurreManie. A beurremanie, French for “kneaded butter,” is like a roux, but the flour-butter mixture is added after the liquid.
There’s less chance of clumping with this strategy. In a mixing basin, combine equal parts flour and butter until a smooth dough forms.
- Make teaspoon-sized balls out of the dough.
- Add the balls to the stew one at a time, constantly stirring until the required thickness is reached.
The disadvantage of this procedure is that it can cause lumps. Instead, use a fork or hands for kneading the flour and butter completely.
Reduction Method
The goal is to have the liquid in the stew evaporate into thin air, thus reducing the amount of liquid in the stew.
- All you need to do is remove the lid for this strategy to work.
- Simmer the stew for 20 to 30 minutes on low heat until the surplus liquid has evaporated.
- To avoid burning, stir the stew often, just as you would with the other techniques.
- You can also avoid this by using a pot with a thick bottom.
The only drawback is that it takes some time.
Slow Cooker Method
Slow cooker stews and casseroles thickening because slow cookers function at a lower temperature; any thickening may never reach a temperature high enough for the starch to expand.
After the stew is finished, transfer the sauce to a saucepan and whisk in the flour or cornflour slurry until smooth. Bring to a boil.
More Ways to Thicken Stew
- Add mashed or puréed potatoes to the stew and cook it without the lid until it thickens, like the method above.
- Quick oats work well in stews to absorb excess liquid. In approximately 3 minutes, add a teaspoon of oats to the stew, thickening.
- If necessary, add extra. Regular oats have the same impact as instant oats, but they take a little longer to kick in – about 30 minutes.
Conclusion
In conclusion, we suggest that at this stage, you have two options: boil out some liquid (which will concentrate the flavor, which you may not want, and you risk overcooking the components), or add an ingredient that will thicken the liquid for a creamier texture without affecting the flavor.
FAQs
What Flour Is Used to Thicken Stew?
Corn flour is a gluten-free thickening that works well. Mix one teaspoon cornflour with a tablespoon of room temperature water and add to your stew.
Is It Possible to Thicken the Soup With All-Purpose Flour?
Cornstarch and all-purpose flour are two thickeners that almost everyone has on hand and may be used to thicken a range of soups and sauces.