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Cook Talk

Does gravy break down if held too long or too high
Florence
01/30/15
We usually make gravy before lunch and hold it in a warming unit on low temp.(still reading at least 140 deg. internal temp.) for several hours. Sometimes the gravy thins down on its own. Is there a max. time/temp factor that we need to understand so this doesn't happen
ellen
01/31/15
Breakdowns are often the result of:

Cornstarch base
Too much fat in the recipe
Undercooking the roux/ base
and can also be affected by the ingredient blend

Does any particular type of gravy or any particular cook have more difficulty?

ellen
02/01/15
You might also enjoy this article:

chowhound.chow.com/topics/723756

You may just be holding it way too long.

Sally Counselman
02/08/15
I saw this post and thought I would add something that has helped me with thickening agents as foods are held or frozen/thawed. I use sweet rice flour (not sugar 'sweet' just from the variety of rice I believe) which is commonly used in many Asian foods. You can obviously get it in Asian food markets, but also in specialty sections at larger grocery stores and it's easily located online. I began using it more when a family member was taken off of gluten (including wheat flour obviously) and discovered I liked cooking with it so keep it on hand for most thickening needs now. I'm not as knowledgeable as Ellen by any means, but thought I'd share what has helped me.
ellen
02/09/15
Thanks, Sally, it is good stuff.
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