mixed together to thicken a casserole take away the flavour!I'm sick of cooking casseroles that smell really really nice when cooking but taste really bland when eating. I added 3 flavours and it was still bland. All i can think of is adding cornflour and water mixed to thicken it is making it lose it's flavour. Help please :-(
skippie1,
May 16, 6:18am
Use potato flour to thicken also doesn't change the colour or tase of your casserole. Can be bought from any Asian store. Requires little to thicken. Maybe a dash Worcestershire sauce lifts the flavour.
davidt4,
May 16, 6:19am
It is better to thicken the liquid by boiling to reduce it.Pour the whole casserole into a colander set over a big bowl to collect the liquid.Return the liquid to your pan and boil over high heat until it is reduced to a coating consistency.Check the seasoning, return the meat and veges to the pan and bring up to a simmer to serve.
kitten191,
May 16, 6:22am
Thanks. It's so frustrating. It should of tasted so yummy :-(
ferita,
May 16, 6:27am
What do you mean you added three flavours!
Have you tried seasoning and using stock and reducing the liquids!
I put in one of those maggi beef casserole mixes, A soup mix and oxo cubes. It smelt nice.
olwen,
May 16, 6:42am
What else went into it!You need to build layers of flavour.Brown the meat, and onions veges, herbs, spices etc.No more liquid than is needed.
pgta,
May 16, 6:44am
A little bit of salt helps to maximise the flavours in a stew
gardie,
May 16, 7:07am
Cornflour will not change the flavour of your food IMO.If you doubt it, taste the powder - its pretty tasteless.
dorothy_vdh,
May 16, 7:43am
agree with gardie, cornflour and water mixture is all I have ever used for thickening
angel404,
May 16, 8:54am
same here. SLightly different but whenever i cooked maggi apricot chicken i never make the juice up with water like it says to in the directions coz just the apricot juice is enough and adding the extra water makes the whole thing bland. Maybe you are adding too much water!
lindylambchops1,
May 16, 8:55am
Make sure you are not using custard powder by mistake lol
kitten191,
May 16, 9:13am
Maybe it was too much water. I added salt and pepper too.
kitten191,
May 16, 9:13am
No it's not custard powder LOL
eljayv,
May 16, 8:33pm
I sometimes use lentil flour but if the stew seems tasteless it could be underseasoned.
kuaka,
May 16, 8:50pm
Do you put the cornflour in when you actually make the casserole, or add it at the end!I always use a good heaped tablespoonful of cornflour, an oxo cube and water, and my casseroles are always yummy and the gravy is nice and thick.I put the cornflour in at the start along with the oxo cube.
nauru,
May 17, 1:02am
I always use potato flour to thicken, you don't need much and it thickens immediately.Also you don't have to cook out the starch as you have to with cornflour
elliehen,
May 17, 1:14am
Dried red lentils will thicken a stew and add good nutrients.
ferita,
May 17, 1:27am
When you add water and cornflour you have to factor in the extra water you are adding. The extra water actually waters down the richness. Try adding soya suace or something to bring the flavour richness back. Normally proper seasoning with salt and pepper will bring the flavour back too. Sometimes you need to add more salt then you think, especially when a casserolle has potatoes in it. Potatoes take the salt out of food.
kob,
May 17, 2:11am
if you roll your meat first in seasoned flour and then brown in a hot pan, then once browned add water soya sauce worchester sauce and what ever herbs you want, add the meat back and add veges and cook slowely till meat is tender you probably wont need to add any thickening as the stew will be pretty thickened naturally. I have omitted the s&P from start of menu bacuse the soya sauce is quite salty add after its almost cooked that way it wont be over salted
beaker59,
May 17, 6:57am
If I do this I remove some of the liquid into a cold cup then after a few minutes add the cornflour to that then back into the mix You can also use flour this way but need to simmer longer to cook the flour.
ngacooky,
May 17, 7:11am
try using potato flakes to thicken casseroles and stews. you just sprinkle ontop and stir in
aktow,
May 17, 7:11am
total rubbish,you only add enough water to make the cornflour into a runny paste,, it does not water down the taste at all,
kuaka,
May 17, 9:00am
Okay, I just put the cornflour and the oxo cube into the casserole dish with enough water to dissolve the oxo cube and make the cornflour into a liquid.I then add chopped onions, diced rump steak, carrot cut into circles and anything else, maybe parsnips, kumara, capsicum etc, put the lid on and bung it in the oven.No salt, no pepper, nothing else.Cook for an hour and a half to two hours, and always yummy.No hassles, no drama.Tasty, nice thick gravy.No need to muck around browning the meat - did you hear on masterchef the other week, browning the meat is for looks only - it doesn't seal in the juices!I just use enough water to cover the basic ingredients, and by the time it's cooked, it's reduced and thickened nicely.
ferita,
May 17, 10:44am
I wont be taking advice from a guy who cooks scrambled eggs in the microwave.
You might be a chef but I am also a qualified chef
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