Understanding Food

Chapter 20:
Starches and Sauces
Starches as Thickeners
Starches contribute to the:
Texture
Taste
Appearance



Starches as Thickeners
Cereals that are
common sources of
starch are:
Wheat
Rice
Corn

Root starches include:
Potatoes
Arrowroot
Cassava (tapioca)
Other sources of complex
carbohydrates are:
Dried beans
Peas
Sago palm
Starch Characteristics
Starches have the capacity to go through the
processes of:
Gelatinization: The increase in volume,
viscosity, and translucency of starch
granules when they are heated in a liquid.
Gel formation
Retrogradation
Dextrinization
Starch Characteristics
Gelatinization is
dependent on a
number of factors,
including:
Amount of water
Temperature
Timing
Stirring
and the presence of:
Acid
Sugar
Fat
Protein
Starch Characteristics
Gel formation-requirements
Gelatinization
Amylose
Cooling


Starch Characteristics
Retrogradation: The seepage of water out
of an aging gel due to the contraction of the
gel
Dextrinization: The breakdown of starch
molecules to smaller, sweeter-tasting
dextrin molecules in the presence of dry
heat.
Starch Characteristics
Modified Starches
For food industry use
Crosslinked starch
Oxidized starch
Instant or pregelatinized starch
Sauces
The major sauces used
in food preparation
are:
Thickened sauces,
including:
Cheese sauce
White sauce
Some gravies
Unthickened sauces,
including:
Other gravies
Hollandaise
Butter
Fruit
Barbecue
Tartar
Tomato sauces
Sauces-thickeners
Roux: A thickener made by cooking equal
parts of flour and fat.
There are three types of roux that serve as
the foundation in making thickened sauces:
White
Blond
Brown


Sauces-thickeners
Beurre mani (pronounced burr mahn-YAY): A thickener that is a
soft paste made from equal parts of soft butter and flour blended
together.
Sauces-thickeners
Slurry: A thickener made by combining starch and a cool
liquid.
No lumps
Lump-free sauces
Fat and flour thoroughly
mixed before adding liquid
Small amount of starch mixed
with cold water before adding
Sugar

Sauces
Gravy is made from the juices or drippings
remaining in the pan after meat or poultry is
cooked.
The drippings can be served thickened and
with added seasonings or unthickened.
Au jus: Served with its own natural
juices; a term usually used in
reference to roasts.
Sauces
Deglaze: Adding liquid to pan
drippings and
simmering/stirring to dissolve
and loosen cooked-on particles
sticking to the bottom of the
pan.
Reduction: To simmer or boil a
liquid until the volume is
reduced through evaporation,
leaving a thicker, more
concentrated, flavorful mass.

Storage of Starches and Sauces
The quality of
dry starches
deteriorates with
improper storage.
Thickened sauces
should also be
prepared, served,
and stored with
caution.