Kitchen Technique: Thickening Agents- Flour vs. Everything else

~There are various methods to thickening a sauce, soup, or making gravy. The traditional western method incorporates flour, where as the Asian school of thought prefer cornstarch. However, there are many possibilities which may result in a better product. I favor pure starches in my cooking because the natural starch compounds thicken much faster than flour and with less of the amount needed.  This also helps to avoid possible mishaps of diluting the flavor of the dish. Below are also two common methods of utilizing thickeners. I normally substitute the flour with a pure starch and have not had any issues doing so.  Consider the following:

  

Cornstarch- a starch extracted from corn, which must always be thoroughly mixed with a cool liquid first, before being stirred into the cooking product. Since it contains some starch, it tends to thicken better than flour.

Arrowroot- a neutral tasting pure starch which thickens at a lower temperature than flour or cornstarch. Overheating will break down the starch. It also does not mix will with dairy and will form a slimy mixture.

**Other pure starches include taro, potato, and tapioca, which are commonly found in Asian grocery stores, close by or in the spice or dry goods section. 

Flour- a flavorless powder made from finely ground cereal grains, seeds, or root. Normally combined with a fat, to be used as a thickening agent. 

Roux- a cooking mixture of flour and fat; usually butter- commonly used as a thickener for sauces, gravy, soups, and stews. The fat is typically melted and then flour is whisked in. The mixture is allowed to cook thoroughly; the color may vary from white or black, depending on the intended cuisine/dish. For gravy and meat based sauces, the fat used is typically rendered fat. In which case the fond should be softly scraped and whisked into the roux during cooking.

Beurre manié- a dough consisting of equal parts of soft butter and flour, used to thicken soups and sauces. It is prepared prior to cooking, by kneading the flour and butter together into a little ball. When the beurre manié is whisked into a hot or warm liquid, the butter melts, releasing the flour particles without creating lumps.