Post411 · food

How to Thicken a Sauce Naturally: Reduction Over Cornstarch

Step 1

Why Sauces Turn Out Thin

Before fixing the problem, it helps to understand it. Most sauces thin out for one of three reasons:

Step 2

Method 1: Reduction (The Default Approach)

Reduction is the simplest and most flavor-forward method. You remove moisture by simmering the sauce uncovered, concentrating everything left behind — sugars, acids,…

Step 3

Method 2: Flour-Based Thickening

This is a French technique where equal parts softened butter and plain flour are kneaded together into small balls, then whisked into a hot sauce a piece at a time.

Step 4

Method 3: Cornstarch Slurry — Natural, Just Not Grain-Free

Some readers avoid processed additives but still reach for cornstarch — and that's perfectly reasonable, since cornstarch is simply ground corn.

Step 5

Method 4: Arrowroot

Arrowroot powder comes from the rhizomes of the Maranta arundinacea plant and behaves similarly to cornstarch, but with a couple of key differences:

Step 6

Method 5: Egg Yolks (Liaison)

A liaison is a mixture of egg yolks and cream whisked together and stirred into a hot (but not boiling) sauce.

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