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Low Fat Sauces

How to curb your cravings and stay away from the ice cream!
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Low Fat Sauces

Postby Renée » Tue Oct 02, 2012 8:38 pm

I tried making a mushroom sauce tonight using chopped shallots, chopped mushrooms and half-fat creme fraiche. The flavours were good, but it was rather grainy and not smooth. This has happened in the past when I've been using this creme fraiche. I did add a splash or two of Marsala and reduced right down before adding the creme fraiche. I'm wondering why this has happened?

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Re: Low Fat Sauces

Postby Stokey Sue » Tue Oct 02, 2012 9:01 pm

You need a stabiliser - a touch of potato starch, arrowroot, or cornflour (my order of preference) slaked with a little water , stirred in, and allowed to cook, before the creme fraiche is added

If it is already a thickened sauce, the cream is much less likely to go grainy - and of course the sauce should be just off the boil, and not allowed to boil again once the creme fraiche is added

Also - read the label on the low fat creme fraiche. Some are just low fat cream (Yeo Valley for example) - some (supermarket own bands mainly) are "stabilised" with gelatin, starch, or pectin - this makes it thicker when cold, but less stablewhen heated; I personally think this should be illegal, cream (like milk) should be a pure product and adulteration should not be permitted. But even when I get off my soap box, the adulterated stuff is more likely to split

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Re: Low Fat Sauces

Postby Renée » Wed Oct 03, 2012 12:15 am

Thank you for your very helpful reply, Sue.

I did boil to reduce and thicken the sauce, as I do with normal cream. I will add some cornflour with water next time, then add the creme fraiche right at the end, being careful not to boil.

Yes, I check labels carefully when buying reduced-fat creme fraiche. I bought Sainsbury's organic half-fat creme fraiche which doesn't have any additives.

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Re: Low Fat Sauces

Postby Renée » Wed Oct 03, 2012 7:43 pm

Just to let you know that the mushroom sauce turned out really well, Sue! I used a small amount of cornflour, because that's what I had in.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v218/ ... msauce.jpg

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Re: Low Fat Sauces

Postby Stokey Sue » Thu Oct 04, 2012 12:29 pm

:clap :clap :clap

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Re: Low Fat Sauces

Postby Joanbunting » Thu Oct 04, 2012 2:20 pm

Well done the two of you. I missed out on this thread thanks to our internet problems.

I also add a very small amount of arrowroot or similar to creme anglaise, especially when doing Iles Flottant. Doesn't affect the taste but sure helps the texture.

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Re: Low Fat Sauces

Postby Renée » Fri Oct 05, 2012 11:51 pm

I'll make a note to get some arrowroot, Joan. I have used it in the past and it works well. Thanks for the reminder.

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Re: Low Fat Sauces

Postby Johnson » Fri Oct 19, 2012 5:42 am

Well I have prepared vegetables pasta sauce which has amazingly very good taste . I usually add chop tomato , olive oil , oregano flakes , green bell peppers ,slat and sugar . It is low fat sauce so people can easily prepare it .

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Re: Low Fat Sauces

Postby Renée » Sun Oct 21, 2012 10:00 pm

I like those flavours, johnson!

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Re: Low Fat Sauces

Postby Puss-in-boots » Tue Nov 20, 2012 6:38 pm

I like the sound of that sauce as I like creme fraiche as well, will give it a try sometime. The dinner looks nice Renee.

Johnson your pasta dish sounds good also.

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