Shelf · Sauces & emulsions · Medium heat
Starch slurry
Stirring a starch into cold liquid until smooth, then pouring that into the hot pan at the very end.
Why it works
Starch grains only clump when dry ones hit hot liquid and gel on the outside before the middle gets wet. Dispersing them in cold liquid first means every grain is already surrounded when it heats, so it thickens smoothly. Unlike a roux, it adds no flavour and no fat.
The tell
The sauce turns glossy and visibly thickens within about thirty seconds of coming back to a simmer — and it must reach a simmer, or the starch never gels at all.
- Runs off
- Coats
- Lumpy
How it fails
Cornstarch thins back out if boiled hard or held hot for a long time, so add it at the end and stop as soon as it thickens. It also settles fast in the bowl — stir the slurry again right before it goes in, or you pour in mostly water.
In the app, the card opens on the recipe step that names it, with the tell drawn.
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