4.2 Starch-Thickened Products
Objectives
- Demonstrate increased skill in thickening starch mixtures.
- Prepare some basic starch-thickened products.
- Identify a standard product for pudding and compare its qualities with commercial pudding products.
Preparation of White Sauce and Variations
| Thin | Medium | Thick | Very Thick | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Butter or margarine | 1 tbsp. | 2 tbsp. | 3 tbsp. | 4 tbsp. |
| Flour | 1 tbsp. | 2 tbsp. | 3 tbsp. | 4 tbsp. |
| Salt* | 1/8 tsp. | 1/8 tsp. | 1/8 tsp. | 1/8 tsp. |
| Milk | 1 cup | 1 cup | 1 cup | 1 cup |
Melt fat in a saucepan. Blend in flour and salt; remove from heat. Add milk, stirring to blend; return to heat and stir gently while heating quickly to a full boil. Boil for 1 minute if the sauce is not to be cooked further.
*Amount of salt may vary with added ingredients or intended use of the white sauce.
White Sauce Variations
- Tomato Sauce: Substitute tomato juice for milk in the above recipe for medium sauce. Omit salt.
- Brown Sauce: Follow instructions for medium white sauce with the following changes: 1) Omit salt if a salted liquid is used. 2) After the flour and butter are blended, continue to heat until the mixture has turned a light brown color. 3) Substitute water or broth for milk.
Sensory Evaluation
| Sauce | Appearance | Texture | Uses |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thin White Sauce | Cream soup, vegetable sauce | ||
| Medium White Sauce | Casserole base, cheese sauce | ||
| Thick White Sauce | Soufflé | ||
| Very Thick White Sauce | Croquettes | ||
| Tomato Sauce | Tomato soup or gravy | ||
| Brown Sauce | Gravy, meats |
Prepare Cream Soups
Cream of Asparagus, Spinach, or Pea Soup
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons finely chopped or minced fresh onion (not dry minced)
- 1 Tablespoon butter or margarine
- 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup milk
- ¼ cup pureed or finely chopped vegetable
- dash of white pepper
Instructions
Cook onion in butter over low heat until onion is translucent.
Stir in cornstarch and salt; remove from heat. Add milk, stirring to blend; return to heat and stir gently while heating quickly to a full boil.
After the mixture has boiled for 1–2 minutes, add vegetables. Heat to serving temperature and add a dash of white pepper.
Pimento and Onion Soup
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons minced fresh onion
- 1 Tablespoon butter or margarine
- 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup milk
- 1 Tablespoon chopped pimento
- dash of white pepper
Instructions
Cook onion in butter over low heat until onion is translucent.
Stir in cornstarch and salt; remove from heat. Add milk, stirring to blend; return to heat and stir gently while heating quickly to a full boil.
After the mixture has boiled for 1–2 minutes, add pimiento. Heat to serving temperature and add a dash of white pepper.
Cream of Celery Soup
Ingredients
- ¼ cup thinly sliced celery
- 2 teaspoons minced fresh onion
- 1 Tablespoon butter
- 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
- ½ cup milk
- ½ cup chicken or vegetable broth
Instructions
Cook celery and onion in butter over low heat until vegetables are translucent.
Stir in cornstarch; remove from heat. Add milk and broth, stirring to blend, return to heat, and stir gently while heating quickly to a full boil.
Boil for 1 minute, then remove from heat.
Cream of Potato Soup
Ingredients
- ⅔ cup diced potatoes
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup reserved cooking liquid, from cooking potatoes
- 2 teaspoons minced fresh onion
- 1 Tablespoon butter
- 2 teaspoon cornstarch
- ½ cup milk
- 1 teaspoon fresh parsley, chopped
- dash of white pepper
Instructions
Peel, dice and cook potatoes in enough salted water to just cover potatoes; drain and reserve cooking liquid.
Cook onion in butter over low heat until onion is translucent.
Stir in cornstarch; remove from heat and add milk and reserved cooking liquid from potatoes, stirring to blend, return to heat and stir gently while heating quickly to a full boil.
Boil for 1 minute, then remove from heat.
Add potatoes and parsley; heat to serving temperature and add a dash of white pepper.
Creamed Peas, Carrots, and Potatoes
Ingredients
- ½ cup diced potatoes
- ¼ cup diced carrots
- ¼ cup peas, frozen
- 1 Tablespoon butter
- 1 Tablespoon corn starch
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup half and half
- 1/2 teaspoon parsley, dried
Instructions
Vegetable Preparation: Peel and dice potatoes and carrots. Measure potatoes, carrots, and peas.
Cooking Vegetables: In a saucepan, first, cook potatoes and carrots in enough lightly salted water to cover them. When the potatoes and carrots are almost done cooking, add in the peas and cook for an additional 2–3 minutes. Drain the vegetables.
Cream Sauce: Melt butter in a saucepan. Blend in cornstarch and salt; remove from heat. Add half and half, stirring to blend; return to heat and stir while heating to a full boil. Boil for 1 minute.
Mix cooked vegetables and parsley into the cream sauce and serve.
Sensory Evaluation
| Cream Soup | Appearance | Consistency | Flavor |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asparagus | |||
| Spinach | |||
| Pea | |||
| Pimento and Onion | |||
| Celery | |||
| Potato | |||
| Creamed Peas, Carrots, and Potatoes |
Prepare Basic Puddings
Cocoa Pudding
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 Tablespoon cocoa
- dash salt
- 1 cup milk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- ½ teaspoon butter
Instructions
In a small saucepan, mix cornstarch, sugar, cocoa, and salt. Blend in milk.
Cook over medium heat, stirring gently until the mixture boils. Continue cooking over direct heat for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring slowly but constantly.
Remove from heat, blend in vanilla and butter, and pour into serving dish to cool.
Chocolate Pudding
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
- ¼ cup sugar
- dash of salt
- 1 cup milk
- ⅓ oz. unsweetened chocolate, cut into small pieces
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
In a small saucepan, mix cornstarch, sugar, and salt. Blend in milk; add chocolate.
Cook over medium heat, stirring gently until the mixture boils. Continue cooking over direct heat for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring slowly but constantly.
Remove from heat, blend in vanilla, and pour into serving dish to cool.
Vanilla Pudding
Ingredients
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 Tablespoon + 1½ teaspoons cornstarch
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup milk
- 1½ teaspoons butter
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
In a small saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Gradually stir in milk.
Cook over medium heat, stirring gently until the mixture boils. Continue cooking over direct heat for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring slowly but constantly.
Remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla. Pour into a serving dish and cool.
Peach Tapioca Pudding
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon quick-cooking tapioca
- dash salt
- ⅔ cup peach juice (from the can) and/or water**
- ½ cup peaches, chopped fine
- few drops of almond extract
Instructions
In a small saucepan, mix tapioca and salt. Blend in peach juice and/or water; let stand for 5 minutes.
Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the mixture barely simmers. Simmer for 1 minute; remove from heat.
Cover and let stand for about 5 minutes to complete gelatinization of starch. Stir in peaches and almond extract. Pour into a serving dish and cool.
**Add 1 Tablespoon sugar for each ½ cup of water.
Prepare Commercial Puddings As Assigned
Prepare a package of regular packaged pudding and pie filling mix or instant pudding mix according to package directions.
Sensory Evaluation
Evaluate all puddings at the same temperature if possible.
| Pudding | Appearance | Texture | Flavor | Overall Quality |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cocoa | ||||
| Chocolate | ||||
| Vanilla | ||||
| Peach Tapioca | ||||
| Packaged (regular box mix) | ||||
| Packaged (instant box mix) | ||||
| Ready to Eat (snack pack) | ||||
| Ready to Eat Rice (refrigerated) | ||||
| Ready to Eat Tapioca (refrigerated) |
