Arrow Root
Ingredients
Directions
In a saucepan, bring water to a boil.
Gradually add arrow root to the boiling water, stirring constantly.
Continue to cook until the mixture thickens to your desired consistency.
Add condiments to taste, if desired.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Explore the science
What each ingredient does
- Arrow root
- Thickens the water as its starch swells and gelatinizes when heated, giving a smooth, glossy texture.
The step that matters
Gradually add arrow root while stirring constantly. Starch powder clumps when dumped into hot liquid, because the outer layer swells and seals the granules inside. Adding it slowly while stirring separates the granules so each one hydrates and thickens evenly, giving a smooth result without lumps.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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