A Housewife's Guide to Four Thickening Methods
From large restaurants to ordinary households, thickening is an essential step in cooking. Most thickening sauces are made by mixing starch and water. The starch gelatinizes at high temperatures, creating a certain viscosity. This not only preserves the nutrients in the dish but also protects the gastric mucosa. But did you know that the thickness of the sauce varies depending on the cooking method?
Sauces are generally divided into two types: thick and thin sauces. Thick sauces are further divided into two categories based on their consistency: coating sauce and paste sauce. For dishes like stir-fried and oil-blasted dishes, a coating sauce is best. Because the coating sauce is the thickest, it can completely coat the meat, with representative dishes like Fish-flavored Shredded Pork and Stir-fried Kidney.
As for paste sauce, its consistency is slightly thinner and is used for stewed and pan-fried dishes, such as Kung Pao Chicken, Sweet and Sour Pork, and Stir-fried Eel Paste. The paste sauce turns the dish's sauce into a thin paste, achieving a blend of sauce and dish with a rich, mellow, and smooth flavor. Thin sauces, on the other hand, are much thinner than thick sauces and can also be divided into two types: pouring sauce and starch-thickened soup sauce. Pouring sauce is glossy and bright, and many common fish dishes are served with this type of sauce.
This not only enhances the color of the dish but also locks in minerals, vitamins, and other nutrients. Starch-thickened soup sauce is mostly used for making soups.
However, it is important to note five points regardless of the sauce's thickness. First, thicken only after the dish is fully cooked. Second, do not thicken if there is too much oil. Third, adjust the flavor and color before thickening. Fourth, do not thicken if the sauce does not cover the dish or if there is almost no sauce. Fifth, the consistency of the sauce should be appropriate; if it is too thick, the dish will become dry, and if it is too thin, it will dilute the flavor of the dish.