I made roast beef the other night and decided to do something with the leftovers last night. Been having a hankering for gravy and rice so decided to make a nice gravy.

Ran out of arrowroot so figured since I've used corn starch in the past (before having problems with corn) potato starch would work. Ummm... er... hrm... *cough*... No.

While it thickened the gravy all right, the consistency was something rather like mucus. Yeah, I know.... EW! It actually rolled off the rice and beef onto the plate in lumps reminiscent of "The Blob". It was like eating beef-flavored loogies. Tasty, yet disgusting at the same time.

Ok, so when you can't use corn starch and are out of arrowroot, what do you use?

I've used white rice flour before and it worked fine so long as you make a slurry first and don't try to just add it in.

Personally, I hate gravy made with corn starch and rice flour (too much like pudding). I use light buckwheat flour for thickening gravy, and nobody can notice the difference from gravy thickened with wheat flour.

I use sweet rice flour for gravy. Works very well and the texture is good.

Thank you!!!

Nyxie,

I am sorry the potato starch didn't work out for you.

I have been making my gravy with it for the last two Thanksgivings and winter seasons after Patti suggested it, and it has always worked out well for me.

I was using rice flour before the potato starch and I didn't like the flavor or the graininess that it had.

I guess it comes down to personal preference with gravy

I think the key with potato starch is that a little goes a LONG LONG way as far as thickening power.

I've used it before, but a TON less than I would have used of another thickener and it's worked just fine.

I would say (someone disagree if I'm wrong, of course), maybe 1/4 the amount you'd use of rice flour or corn starch.

Yes, I agree. Whatever starch one uses, start out with one or two big tsp per cup or ½ cup of water or chicken/beef stock and go from there. You can always add more starch to thicken it up. But if you start with too much starch, you'll get glue. That's what happened to me the first time I tried to make "cream of" soup to use in the slow cooker with chicken or pork chops.

I like to start out adding a little Amaranth "flour" (not starch) to a little pan drippings (or broth), cook for a minute or two, and then do the starch thing.

There is an excellent thickener reference guide in the book "The Best Gluten-Free Family Cookbook", by Donna Washburn & Heather Butt. I highly recommend it.

best regards, lm

Ah ha! That's what happened! *lightbulb going on*

I used the same amount of potato starch that I was using with corn starch.

Will try it again, this time adding a little at a time.


Thank you all for your help! I really do appreciate it.

been there done that! Ya it is so weird when your gravy is thick like, well like yuck!
A tiny bit goes a long way. That said I like the potato flour better then the starch, the gravy or soup or whatever isn't as gelatin like which is the same as ooky! Oh it was so gross now that you reminded me (the one made with the starch).
Serious though I really like the one made with the flour, ya know how when you make roast beef and gravy and you put it on top of your potatoes and they mix togethor, well that is what the potato flour reminds me of. It is like a perfect mix. yum now I want gravy and spuds but that means I need to make a roast. Sometimes I just want the gravy without the roast but it doesn't work that way.