How to thicken milk?
- Thread starter georgevan
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If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
Sir_Loin_of_Beef
Chef Extraordinaire
Simmer it on the stove until it reduces by half.
Silversage
Head Chef
That is highly unusual in a potato soup recipe. They want you to use flour or starch to thicken the milk before adding it to the soup. Potato starch is a thickener itself. Most recipes call for adding the milk to cook the potato in, then if it needs more thickening, adding flour. (Always dissolve the flour in a little cold liquid before adding it to a hot liquid).
I think I would find a more traditional style recipe if this is your first time making it.
I think I would find a more traditional style recipe if this is your first time making it.
Aunt Bea
Master Chef
I would make a basic cream sauce using the amount of milk called for in the recipe.
This will make a thick mixture similar to a can of condensed cream soup.
1⁄2 cup butter
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
ground black pepper to taste
Melt butter in a saucepan. Add flour and make a paste. Add milk and cook over low heat until thickened. Add pepper to taste.
For a thin sauce reduce amount of butter and flour by 2/3. For a medium sauce reduce the amount of butter and flour by 1/3.
This basic sauce can be flavored with chicken bouillon, minced mushrooms, onions, etc…
This will make a thick mixture similar to a can of condensed cream soup.
1⁄2 cup butter
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
ground black pepper to taste
Melt butter in a saucepan. Add flour and make a paste. Add milk and cook over low heat until thickened. Add pepper to taste.
For a thin sauce reduce amount of butter and flour by 2/3. For a medium sauce reduce the amount of butter and flour by 1/3.
This basic sauce can be flavored with chicken bouillon, minced mushrooms, onions, etc…
CharlieD
Chef Extraordinaire
I think they meant to thicken the soup with milk. Or Use evaporated milk. Whish is thicker.
pictonguy
Sous Chef
Thickened milk is a separate procedure within that recipe, and if they're not providing the guidance to facilitate that, I would look for a different recipe altogether, simply because that's just lazy and unprofessional. A quick google search for potato ham soup showed 1.2 million results. imo.
Where is the recipe from? Does "thickened milk" translate badly from another language? Is it made in an area where people can buy something called "thickened milk"? Is it listed as an ingredient?
rodentraiser
Head Chef
I make potato, cheese, and bacon soup often and when I want to thicken the milk, I put about two tablespoons of flour into two tablespoons of melted butter in a pot and cook a couple minutes to get the edge off the flour. I believe this is a roux?
Anyway, once I've done this, I add cold milk to the butter and flour. Chef John always says a hot roux with cold milk will keep you from having lumps.
I don't have the heat on real high, but I do stir the milk for about 10 minutes and you can tell when it starts getting thicker. When it's thick enough for me (or when I get tired of stirring), I remove the pot from the stove and then stir in the cheese. I don't let my milk get real thick because the cheese will thicken it up as well. When the cheese is all melted, I add the whole thing to the potatoes and bacon.
Recently, I've been using Parmesan cheese, cream, and Alfredo sauce in my potatoes and bacon in the slow cooker, and then stirring the cheese in when the potatoes are tender. I'm still experimenting with that, though.
Anyway, once I've done this, I add cold milk to the butter and flour. Chef John always says a hot roux with cold milk will keep you from having lumps.
I don't have the heat on real high, but I do stir the milk for about 10 minutes and you can tell when it starts getting thicker. When it's thick enough for me (or when I get tired of stirring), I remove the pot from the stove and then stir in the cheese. I don't let my milk get real thick because the cheese will thicken it up as well. When the cheese is all melted, I add the whole thing to the potatoes and bacon.
Recently, I've been using Parmesan cheese, cream, and Alfredo sauce in my potatoes and bacon in the slow cooker, and then stirring the cheese in when the potatoes are tender. I'm still experimenting with that, though.
pictonguy
Sous Chef
Maybe they meant heavy cream, who knows, maybe like you said translating language properly isn't always a given.
