Martin Baadsgaard

Thank (once again) for your answer Did a Google search for it, because, as you said, someone ought to have tried it. Found a scientific report about this phenomenon, which showed gelatin stopped methyl-cellulose from proper gelling above 45c. Also, I don't have methyl-cellulose available and would prefer not investing in more powders right now. So if you have any other suggestions I am all ears I have carrageenan, xanthan, Guar, agar and pectin on hand for quick tests.

I have this sauce, or more like a stock. It is not a demiglace, it is just made on bones, meat and vegetables that have been browned. Varmed, it is the nicest rich sauce. Cold, it stands very stiff and hard. I would like to serve it in the jelly-like state, in cubes, but I would like it to be 50-60C when served, at which point it would melt again. I have been playing with, and reading about gels alot here lately and came to think.. Maybe I can create a synergy between gelatin and another gelling agent that would make it heat-stable up to this temperature. Google-searches gave nothing yet, so did anyone try something like this?

pbear and Baron d'Apcher, thanks for the suggestions, I learned a few things I will be playing around with. I ended up trying thickening with egg, but otherwise trying my own method. Folded in chicken and asparagus, and at 64C I folded in whipped cream. Gave a nice airy fatty mouthfeel, though still a little too thin.

Actually thinking about it it isn't even gravy. It's veloute It sounds like an interesting technique with the rice, but not quite the thing I'm looking for. I'll remember it though, thanks

So you're suggesting beating whole eggs, yolks or whites? I like your idea, but afaik, whole eggs or yolks would need sugar to "ribbon".. Maybe I'm misunderstnading you here?

I am playing around with 1-upping a danish classic called "tarteletter", which is basically a flaky pastry shell filled with roux-thickened chicken "gravy" (fat skimmed off), chunks of chicken and white asparagus. I am making the shell by hand, cooking chicken pieces by sous vide etc. but one thing I personally am not too keen of is the gravy "texture". So I was thinking of a way to maybe aerate it. Doesn't have to be all modernist-siphon-foam-like, just lightened. I thought about stabilizing cream with xanthan gum, enriching it with a bit of the chicken fat, whipping it, thicken the gelatin-rich stock with a bit of corn starch. Fold it together while hot with chunks of chicken and asparagus. These projects are several days long and can't happen so often, so before I just leap into it and make some dumb mistake, I am just looking for feedback on my intended method or suggestions on how else to go about it. Thanks!

Well sometimes this stuff is easier to get as a company than as a private person I came across somewhere where it said that lambda is usually a mixture of lambda and kappa. They generally don't go through the trouble of making a pure grade of it. I kind of just want to order from http://www.modernistpantry.com/ But that would be $10 for a bag and then $10 shipping, or $20 for 2 bags, $12 shipping and then $25 for danish postal service handling fees (!) because it surpases the "trivial value amount". So no matter what, it would be a lot of money spent on just moving it.

Ah, interesting! Problem is just that I have not been able to find a supplier og lambda carrageenan in Europe. I wrote a British reseller about it and was told that kappa does the exact same in a low enough concentration and that lambda is low quality..

Alright. I'm gonna try konjac and kappa carrageenan then :-) thanks

Alright, I wrote a reseller about it, he suggested either kappa carrageenan or guar gum. It seems that if it will settle to a brittle gel, it will, in lower concentrations, give a more flowy and less sticky thickening. I might try myself at that. Konjac looks nice but still kind of slimy, like wallpaper paste (judging from videos).

I have the Textures PDF and looked through it, trying to deduce what would be a good choice. Sauces could be demiglace, red wine reduction and the like. They are naturally syrupy but I'd love to enhance this (personal taste thing, maybe). Otherwise I was looking around for thickeners that would give a soft and smooth gel like pectin but without sugar and acid.

Yea I was expecting that, but shipping is almost twice as much as the powders so I'm trying to be selective. I guess I want something smooth and thick, syrupy even.. How was the texture of the carrageenan? I'm thinking of trying that or konjac

I think we have been hunting the same thing! Difference is just I'm trying to improve over cornstarch and you have a dietary reason. So you tried alot of things? Did carrageenan work texture-wise? I tried fluid gel, but that is more like ketchup to me..

Hey guys. I have been looking at some of the modern gelling agents to see if anything would give me anything in terms of thickening sauces and condiments. I tried xanthan and Guar gum and found that they were quite sticky in mouthfeel. What would be a good next try if I am going for a creamy and not so slimy sticky kind of thickener?

They must be pretty new! I actually got access to free parking in Århus, close to Salling, but I have no car.. I was just curious for a bit of suggestive advice before making it as a little Christmas present for a friend. Sounded like the sauce wasn't available here. I guess I have to make 2 versions, go to Århus, buy 3 lattes, add my syrups to 2 of them, compare the flavors and drink them all ;-) how's that for Christmas shopping trip!