Need help with a recipe please.

[pocahontas]

I really wanna make Paula Deen's Poblano Chicken Chowder but at the very end, she makes a roux with a stick of butter and a cup of flour and then stirs it into the chowder to thicken it.

What can I use in place of the flour? and how would I do it? Does that mean I have to omit the butter? I really love my butter!

[Mistizoom]

I looked up the recipe, that still seems like a huge amount even for 3 quarts of liquid. Since the roux is acting like a thickener, you could stir xanthan gum and/or guar gum into some melted butter and add that. But I wouldn't use more than a couple teaspoons each of the gums, as they can get gummy/slimy if you use too much. Your chowder might just be a little thinner than hers, but I've eaten plenty of chowders that are not thick at all. The flavors will still be there. The heavy cream in the recipe should add a bit of body too.

[Jakelilydad]

For New Year's Eve I made a bisque that I thickened with pureed roast cauliflower. It was amazing, and you could probably add your butter to it. Don't know how many servings your recipe makes, but roast at least half a cauliflower, puree it in a food processor (or a blender, which would make it smoother, but you would need to add some of the soup liquid to it), and add it until it gets as thick as you want it.

[pocahontas]

Thanks guys! I am nervous about using the gums and ruining the whole batch. I havent used glucomanan so I wonder if I should order some?

Jakelilydad - Why didnt I think of that! I used to use pureed veggies to thicken quite a bit but I guess its been a while.

I'll report back what I do, probably wont make it until the weekend.

[The Chicken Lady]

Some people like the gums but I can't stand them. To me they have a slimy texture that just makes my skin crawl.

I have also used pureed roasted cauliflower to thicken creamy soups....a little trick I learned from making Linda Sue's Cauliflower Bisque. It's works well and has a wonderful flavor.

[tiva]

That recipe would taste lovely with good stock instead of broth + boullion crystals. I would cut the amount of stock or broth in half from what she suggests and then not bother with any thickeners at all. I sometimes add a T of coconut flour to soups when I want them thicker. The pureed cauliflower idea also sounds interesting, but it would change the taste of the soup--which might be just fine, of course.

[millergirl1976]

Originally Posted by tiva

That recipe would taste lovely with good stock instead of broth + boullion crystals. I would cut the amount of stock or broth in half from what she suggests and then not bother with any thickeners at all. I sometimes add a T of coconut flour to soups when I want them thicker. The pureed cauliflower idea also sounds interesting, but it would change the taste of the soup--which might be just fine, of course.

Do you make coconut flour in to a roux first, or sprinkle it right in?

[pocahontas]

Originally Posted by tiva

That recipe would taste lovely with good stock instead of broth + boullion crystals. I would cut the amount of stock or broth in half from what she suggests and then not bother with any thickeners at all. I sometimes add a T of coconut flour to soups when I want them thicker. The pureed cauliflower idea also sounds interesting, but it would change the taste of the soup--which might be just fine, of course.

Oh I will def be using my homemade stock! I am curious as to how you use the coconut flour too, I have that on hand. Do you just sprinkle it in? Or make a roux?

[rosethorns]

I use cauliflower all the time to thicken soup. The flavor is so nuetral that it will pick up what you are making.

coconut flour sounds interesting.

[tiva]

For thickening stews with a spoonful of coconut flour, I take a cup of hot liquid out of the soup pot, whisk the spoonful of coconut flour into it until smooth, and then stir the mixture back into the full pot of soup. It doesn't need to be cooked in a roux because it doesn't have that raw taste that wheat flour has. When I make a souffle, I do make a roux with butter and then stir in the cream.

[pocahontas]

Thanks!

[Jakelilydad]

Originally Posted by tiva

For thickening stews with a spoonful of coconut flour, I take a cup of hot liquid out of the soup pot, whisk the spoonful of coconut flour into it until smooth, and then stir the mixture back into the full pot of soup. It doesn't need to be cooked in a roux because it doesn't have that raw taste that wheat flour has. When I make a souffle, I do make a roux with butter and then stir in the cream.

Any chance you could post your coconut flour souffle recipe?