THICK WATER

“Thick water or non-oil” is a base for creating a sauce and sweet or savory seasoning without fat.

It can be served hot or cold.

From time to time you can enrich and customize with what you like, it is to be kept handy for:

• • season cooked and raw vegetables or cereals
  • accompany fish or meat dishes
  • enrich sweets and cakes.

BASIC RECIPE

Ingredients:

• • 1 cup of water or broth (vegetable or meat or fish) or milk (also vegetable)
  • 1 tablespoon of starch or thickener
  • 1/2 teaspoon of salt.

Preparation

Blend the liquid part, the starch or selected thickener and salt.

Put in a saucepan and simmer, stirring until the mixture is thickened.

Remove from heat and let it cool before adding to the other ingredients of the recipe and blend or mix well to mix all the ingredients, which can also be in pieces for a more rustic sauce with a consistency play.

This thick water could in some cases be 50% of your sauce (example: 50 g of thick water + 50 g of fresh herbs or hard-boiled eggs); in others 30% (example: 30 g of thick water + 70 g of vegetables or fruit or mushrooms or meat or fish).

WHAT ADDENSANT OR STARCH TO CHOOSE

Cornstarch is the best choice for thickening milk-based products, but it should not be used with acidic ingredients because its thickening power is significantly reduced. A spoon is equal to 6 grams.

Rice starch gives a very soft consistency. A spoon is equal to 5 grams.

The arrowroot, its thickening power is not reduced by the acidic ingredients should not be used with dairy products because it becomes slimy. A spoon is equal to 8 grams.

The flour or tapioca starch, thickens very quickly giving a consistency similar to mayonnaise. A spoon is equal to 5 grams.

The potato starch is the least suitable because it tends to make the sauces cooked on sticky fire.

The kuzu, my favorite, is a superfood rich in minerals with important therapeutic properties. A spoon is equal to 9 grams.

OPTIONS

The dried herbs at the beginning of the cooking process, as they need time to release their flavor. One teaspoon of dried herbs is the ideal dose for the recipe of thick water.

Fresh soft-stemmed herbs (basil, chives, parsley, mint, coriander, dill), which should be added just before serving. Fresh hard-stemmed herbs with a firm leaf (sage, rosemary, oregano, thyme) can be cooked with the sauce or left to infuse with vinegar or the acidic part you add to the sauce.

Spices can be toasted before being added to the sauce or left to infuse with vinegar or the acidic part you add to the sauce. A teaspoon of dried herbs is the ideal dose for the thick water recipe.

The shallot, the leek or the small onion can be roasted, wrapping them without peeling them in tinfoil and bake them in the oven at 200 ° C until they are tender, about 30 minutes.

You can add pulsed vegetables or vegetables (if they are watery as the zucchini use only the outer green part, or cut into pieces let it drip in a colander placed on a container.Use the watery part to cook the sauce, blend the rest of the vegetable that has lost its liquid part and add it raw to enrich the sauce with flavor and fiber). Do the same thing with fruit if you prepare a sweet sauce.

You can also prepare protein sauces using cooked fish, hard-boiled eggs or cooked meat.