Starches

Has there been experimentation utilizing an extraction of different starches from fruits and vegetables to use as thickeners and binders?

Root vegetables, blueberries, plantains, corn, etc.?

Find more posts tagged with

Forum Talk

Comments

tshewman

You mean like potato starch and corn starch (that is already available)? I've done other things with risotto and quinoa. E.G. cooked the starch out and used it as a thickener or blitz 1/2 the grains/seeds and use it to make a different type of sushi.

artstype

you can also grind various rices into "flour" to use this way, or for a batter

Meagan_3284

Yeah but fresh. There are so many different products with starches so I wonder why we limit ourselves to the products on the shelves instead of in the produce section. I like where you are going with the risotto and quinoa. I know pasta works like that too so you can use your pasta water for a sauce thickener. I came across a root vegetable called name the other day that was supposed to cook like a potato but it was entirely too starchy. The most I could find was boiling it and mashing it but I wonder if since it is so starchy it could be used as something as an aid rather than a mashed up food product. Bananas are super starchy too but I never see anything done with them to use the starch. Starches are a whole other world I don't know a lot about other than corn, potato, arrowroot, rice, etc.

Meagan_3284

Which is super cool, thank you. But what about the fruit and vegetables part?

artstype

I think that David Bouley has done a lot in this area, but he doesn't really publish results. I heard he has a new book out though, which I haven't seen, the associate photographer for it was a friend (which really helped when we had our wedding lunch at Bouley- everybody knew him and let him take some great shots).

Meagan_3284

I will have to do some research on him, see what I can find. Thanks Clay!

artstype

http://www.epicurious.com/archive/chefsexperts/celebrity-chefs/david-bouley

tshewman

You can also use many fresh fruits as a thickener and stabilizer in a salad dressing. Try a strawberry or raspberry (or 2) and you'll see the pectin adds thickness and stability. There are many things we can (and maybe do use), but the limitation is that starches do tend to be flavor thieves as well (like flours), so per usual, it's a balance.

Meagan_3284

That reminds me of the kumquat hot sauce I made that turned into spicy kumquat jelly!

artstype

Here you go, Meagan, read down through this and I think you may find what you are looking for

http://www.townandcountrymag.com/leisure/dining/a972/chef-david-bouley/