Article 39: Types of Thickening Sauces, Thickening Methods (Cooking Sauce, Simmering Sauce, Pouring Sauce) and Precautions

II. Types of Thickening Sauce

Thickening sauce is a mixture of broth (or water) and starch that has been heated and gelatinized.

The starch that has not been heated and gelatinized is called "starch juice", while the starch without added starch is called "juice" or "broth".

There are many types of thickening sauces. They can be classified by color (red or white), by consistency (thick or thin), by usage (cooking sauce, simmering sauce, or pouring sauce), and by ingredients (starch, egg white, or fermented black bean sauce).

However, based on the different cooking methods and characteristics of the dishes, they can be divided into the following categories:

① Baoqian, also known as Baoqian, is the thickest type of thickened sauce.

After thickening, the sauce becomes the thickest, coating the surface of the ingredients. When served on a plate, the dish does not fall apart or leak sauce, and there is basically no sauce left on the plate after the dish is finished.

This type of thickening agent is mainly used for stir-fried and quick-fried dishes, such as stir-fried double crispy vegetables, shredded pork with fish-fragrant sauce, stir-fried pork kidneys, and stir-fried squid rolls.

②Thick starch paste is a type of thick starch paste.

The thickening sauce is slightly thinner than the cornstarch slurry, which helps to blend the ingredients together. The remaining sauce in the dish adds to its soft and smooth texture.

This type of starch is mainly used in dishes such as stir-frying, braising, and stewing, including stir-fried pork slices, stir-fried shrimp slices, and stewed white meat.

③Liuli Flour (also known as Liuli Flour)

After thickening, some of the sauce clings to the dish, while some flows from the dish into the plate, appearing as a clear, glossy liquid.

This type of thickening agent is suitable for dishes that are fried or steamed and then drizzled with sauce, such as sweet and sour fish, braised chicken pieces, and prawns with various fillings.

④Mitangci is a type of the thinnest starch.

After thickening, the sauce becomes as thin as rice water. This type of sauce is mainly used for braising dishes to make the soup thicker and highlight the main ingredients, such as braised scallops or braised shredded chicken.

III. Thickening Methods and Requirements

The method of thickening sauce, or the technique of preparing the sauce, directly affects the quality of the dish.

Different thickening methods should be used for dishes with different flavors, and these methods should be applied flexibly in practice.

1. Cooking sauce gravy

The process of thickening a sauce involves mixing seasonings and starch in a bowl beforehand, then quickly stirring or shaking the mixture into a spoon when the ingredients are cooked, so that the thickened sauce evenly coats the ingredients.

This is a quick method for preparing thickening sauces, suitable for dishes such as stir-fried, braised, and quick-fried.

This method must be used when there are few raw materials and a high heat output.

Because within a certain time frame, the amount of ingredients and the heat level affect the degree to which the ingredients are heated. In other words, more ingredients mean more seasoning powder and sauce, resulting in poorer heating; conversely, lower heat levels will also result in poorer heating of the ingredients.

In this situation, the molecules of the seasonings cannot be fully transformed, the aroma of the complex flavor is insufficient, the starch cannot be completely gelatinized, the sauce turns dark and disintegrates, forms oil bubbles, and has a raw starch taste.

If the heating time is extended, the dish will lose its crisp and tender flavor characteristics.

This method also requires accurate measurements and quick action.

Accurate quantity means that the proportions of seasonings, starch, and broth added to the bowl are accurate.

Because once the sauce is added, it cannot be added or reduced, and it instantly determines the texture, flavor, color, and shape of the dish.

The speed of the action requires cooking quickly, stirring quickly, and serving quickly.

The usual method is to stir the sauce in the bowl before cooking, pour half of it in from the side of the ladle, and then pour the other half into the ladle while stirring. Once it's just right, drizzle with sesame oil and serve.

The sauce should be prepared with warm broth to increase the activity of the seasonings and starch molecules.

2. Thicken with cornstarch slurry

"Po zhi fen jiang" refers to the process of pouring a starch slurry into a spoon and stirring or shaking it when the dish is almost cooked, or pouring the seasoning sauce into the spoon first, then pouring in the starch slurry, and then adding the fried or stir-fried ingredients and stirring.

This method is suitable for dishes such as stir-fried, braised, soft-fried, and deep-fried, and it is easy to master and quite flexible.

For example, the desired texture of crispy fried dishes is crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. The method of thickening the sauce is adopted. Because the sauce is already thick, the fried ingredients are quickly tossed and removed from the spoon, making it less likely to become soggy.

Especially when there are many ingredients (more than three dishes), the method of thickening the sauce can ensure the flavor of the dish. For some dishes such as stir-frying or deep-frying, the ingredients are not fully cooked after being stir-fried in oil. They need to be stir-fried again to adjust the flavor and thicken the sauce to allow the ingredients to cook further. This method of thickening the sauce is also used.

The method for making thickened sauce is to pour the starch slurry into a spoon while simultaneously shaking and stirring the spoon. Once the sauce has thickened, add a little oil.

3. Thicken with cornstarch slurry

Pouring sauce over cooked ingredients involves pouring a prepared sauce over them.

The method for making gravy with thickened sauce is similar to that for making thickened sauce with thinned sauce, except that the ingredients are no longer seasoned again.

Many dishes that are braised or stewed with sauce are made by pouring a thick sauce over them, such as sweet and sour fish, fruit juice fish, chrysanthemum fish, tomato shrimp, pipa shrimp, and Beijing-style pork tenderloin.

The method involves preparing the sauce and cooking the ingredients simultaneously. That is, the ingredients are fried or steamed while the sauce is being prepared. Once the ingredients are cooked and plated, the sauce is poured over them while they are still hot. This method of sauce preparation is also suitable for cooking large quantities of braised, stewed, and simmered dishes.

The method involves cooking, braising, or steaming the ingredients until they are cooked through, placing them in a dish, pouring the original broth into a spoon, adjusting the seasoning, thickening it with cornstarch, and then pouring it over the ingredients.

To prepare a thickening sauce, you need to use "oil-based thickening". This means that when thickening, there is more starch and the sauce is slightly thicker. Then, you add cooked oil in batches and stir. After heating and shaking, the oil and the sauce are combined to form a glassy oil-based thickening, also known as "live sauce thickening".

This type of sauce is light, smooth, and bright. Some soft stir-fried dishes with mushy filling, such as pipa prawns, Hundred Flower prawns, and Jade Fan Monkey Head Mushrooms, also require a sauce after steaming. However, this sauce must be a white sauce that is transparent and clean, and generally does not use "oil-based" sauces or base oil.

IV. Precautions when thickening sauce

① The heat should be high when thickening the sauce.

When the heat is insufficient, the thickening agent is prone to sticking to the bottom of the pot, and raw or lumpy thickening agent may appear.

In particular, when cooking dishes such as stir-frying or quick-frying, if the heat is insufficient, the flavor characteristics of the dish will be completely lost.

When using a thickening agent like cornstarch, the broth should be kept at a rolling boil, but not a bubbling boil.

② Use less oil and a suitable amount of broth.

When thickening sauce, there should not be too much oil in the base. Otherwise, the water and oil will not blend properly, the sauce will dissolve, and it will not be able to completely coat the ingredients, thus affecting the quality of the dish. Too much or too little sauce in the spoon when thickening will also affect the quality of the dish.

③ Thickening should be done at the right time.

Some stir-fried or deep-fried dishes need to be thickened with cornstarch when they are almost cooked. If the thickening is delayed, they will lose their crisp, tender, or smooth flavor. Some braised, stewed, or simmered dishes need to be thickened with cornstarch when they are fully cooked because these dishes have a lot of broth, and the thickening sauce needs a certain amount of time to heat and gelatinize.

If the thickening process is done too early, the ingredients will cook unevenly.

④ After pouring the sauce into the spoon, you should stir and push the spoon together.

When using a thickening agent to thicken a sauce, pour the sauce onto the water bubbles while shaking and turning the spoon. When preparing a sauce for pouring, use a ladle to continuously stir and heat until cooked. When preparing a white sauce, it is best not to add any base oil or clear oil to maintain the transparency of the sauce.