Is it Wrong to Use This in a Sauce ? (ft. Modernist Cuisine)

Mother Sauces Ep6 : How to Make Velouté Sauce using Modern (Forbidden?) ingredients...
Win your Ultimate Tech Bundle by entering Fasthosts’ Techie Test here: www.fasthosts.... (Competition is now closed)
Velouté Sauce is basically reduced white stock that is then thickened with white Roux - a 1:1 mixture of butter and flour. The amount of Roux you need is 10% of the overall liquid weight, e.g. 50g are needed to thicken a pint of stock. This sauce is one of the five mother Sauces Series of french cuisine, along with sauce espagnole and sauce tomate and sauce hollandaise and sauce béchamel.
Big thanks to my man Nathan Myhrvold from Modernist Cuisine for inspiring to experiment even more ! Check out their amazing book collections here :
- Modernist Cuisine, The Art and Science of Cooking : amzn.to/2FPxErc
- Modernist Bread : amzn.to/3kq8luU
Xanthan Gum is a very powerful thickener and should be used in extremely low proportions (starting at 0.05% ! ). From what I have read so far, the best way to use it would be to combine it first with carrageenan seaweed which unfortunately I did not have access to.
A quick note, instead of diluting Xanthan gum in oil, I did it in clarified butter which added a little richness and a bit more french vibes to my velouté sauce.
Get the NASA - RAMEN shirt here : store.dftba.co...
Support my work on : / frenchguycooking
Get My cookbook : smarturl.it/Fre...
Get my posters and t-shirts : www.dftba.com/f...
Become a member now ! / @frenchguycooking
Submit subtitles here : www.youtube.com...
Music by Epidemic sound : share.epidemics...
Music by Artlist : artlist.io/art... ( Get 2 extra months on your Artlist subscription)
My other social accounts :
/ frenchguycooking
/ frenchguycooking
/ frenchguycookin
Director, Author, Host & Camera : Alex
Editor : Joshua Mark Sadler
Planning a foodie trip to Paris ? Here are my favorite spots :
www.frenchguyc...
Salut,
Alex

[@jameshoffmann]

Xanthan is great, but the line between a nicely thickened sauce and chicken flavoured snot is dangerously thin, and a mistake a lot of home cooks make because they're working with tiny amounts of xanthan on kitchen scales not designed for that level of precision. Edit: I forgot to add how much I’m enjoying this series! Looking forward to judgement day in the next one!

[@andymouse]

spoken like a man who knows.

[@ihavenoVEVO]

IT'S JAMES FREAKING HOFFMAN OMG loved the mustache in your last vid

[@TheNiteinjail]

@@ihavenoVEVO Right! 70's James was epic!!

[@MandrakeFernflower]

What about using agar powder?

[@doc8125]

Yes, precision is definitely very important when working with such a substances (and in general in the kitchen IMO, you yourself have converted me to messures everything with precision from learning me how to make coffee. Now I messures everything in grams on my coffee scale ranging from baking, cooking, cocktails and coffee)

[@Meipurururu]

I saw the thumbnail and immediately thought msg

[@selbstmorty2551]

Me too

[@meadowmint8646]

Same, glad it was just cocaine...

[@robertwang6855]

no you didn't

[@insoserious]

me three.

[@nickbrandon6808]

Uncle roger would’ve be proud!

[@freshorangina]

Hi Alex, I really wish you would have mentioned what xanthan actually is. Most people think it’s not clean label, but it pretty much is. It is made by the same microbe that blackens cauliflower, something I think is fascinating. Not sure if you are aware, but combining with Guar gum enhances the thickening ability, so in combination you use less of both. For home cooks I would recommend reconstituting it in water and adding the gel in smaller amounts until the desired consistency is reached.

[@pablocruzgilmour]

Thanks! Just the comment I was looking for :)

[@rousp]

What percentage would you use to reconstitute it? And would you sheer in it with a blender?

[@freshorangina]

@@rousp definitely needs shear, amounts depend on what you are trying to achieve but the usual range is between 0.1%-1.5%.

[@rousp]

@@freshorangina thank you! Do you have any experience with the shelf life of the gel?

[@freshorangina]

@@rousp It completely depends on all of the different components in your recipe. If you are developing for commercial, I do consulting for the food industry.

[@zildog]

Came for Alex, stayed for the inevitable cocaine jokes.

[@vodatube2591]

Came for Alex, stayed to wonder what makes him tick…

[@robertm3849]

I’ve been following since the ramen obsession... I still use the blackened garlic oil ... but like the last few videos, you’re leaving out the final learning experience for viewers to learn also with just cinema. Though I do love your new video editing, it’s missing that learning exercise along with you like back in the earlier videos. Btw I used your French onion soup last year at Christmas and it was a hit. Thank you for all that you do.

[@saab9251]

The visuals in this are incredible. The cooking is great, but the content as a whole is wonderfully produced.

[@mastermanchief21]

Here I thought we’re finally adding cocaine imto our sauces now, still not disappointed regardless

[@cognitivedissonancecamp6326]

All of us hashish eaters got a big grin at the moment you speak to how it needs to bind to fat before being introduced to the water based stock. That’s exactly how we handle hashish. A secret carrier we have here is from a sativa grass seed called camelina that is pressed for its oil. Hempseed oil is the ideal.

[@joewilliams9891]

The Escoffier book is great! I go to the college Escoffier created and am working in the restaurant called ‘the Escoffier’ you should come by and eat in there xx

[@michaelt251]

Alex, interested to know how xantham gum compares with simply using Cornflour. A much cleaner and simpler thickener than a Roux. Or were you just scared your sauce would become... a gravy!

[@louisduong2090]

I don't think I want to put cocaine in my food... *I want to snort directly*

[@svincentr]

Try corn starch, it stays semi clear also.

[@genghissu1185]

did you consider using arrow root powder?

[@andrewwinson5866]

I see a MyWeigh scale! That’s the one I use, too!

[@Flux_Flow]

organic light emitting diode . I took the CompTIA A+ certification.

[@drob841]

Maybe i missed it, i know he gave the calculation for how much x gum and overall liquid but is there a calculation for how much oil needs to be used with the amount of x gum before going into the liquid?

[@MarianKeller]

Just enough to get a nice paste.

[@KyrieRuwachHosanna]

For a moment I thought the powder was MSG haha.

[@dolphinboi-playmonsterranc9668]

Alex, you can't put cocaine in your sauces

[@IlIIlIIIIlIIllllIIlllIII]

But it speeds up the process!

[@paco9831]

Gordon Ramsay does it sooo......

[@nbrikha]

It's not strictly French, but when you're on cocaine, who cares?

[@temmy9]

Sad panda.

[@fartloudYT]

says who

[@evilboy6890]

My dude, your videos have snapped me out of a chefs coma. I have been chefing for 15 years and lost my passion about 10 years in. Your genuine passion for cooking has giving me a second breath. Thank you so much, and you keep doing you

[@hamzailarzeg]

That's so beautiful to read

[@omarhasanovic7721]

I thought he was going to talk about MSG

[@abtRS6]

Me too🤣

[@SwagHorse]

I thought it was cocaine

[@KimoKimochii]

@@SwagHorse whats that

[@fatmanvidz]

literally use it in everything! it's 100% natural too! mainly just use it to decrease saltiness of food or to add a shit ton of umami to a stock or any liquid

[@abtRS6]

@@fatmanvidz I hope you are not talking about msg... cause it’s use to enhance the flavors (like for those who doesn’t know how to cook properly).. also you said it’s natural..well, I don’t know your knowledge with msg but natural doesn’t belong to it at all😂

[@StarScream0722]

If that pan is NASCAR, you can only stir counter-clockwise.

[@seratian]

This sir is an underappreciated comment 🤣

[@howdareyou41]

and if it's F1. lewis hamilton only wins

[@clarkjm1fc3s]

Hey now, there are soon to be THREE Nascar races that also have right turns.

[@abonynge]

THEY ARE MAKING A LEFT TURN

[@ronaldoliverenos7179]

@@howdareyou41 It's either he wins, or he whines. choice is yours

[@titanx001]

Alex:" I need an ultrasonic homogenizer to make my sauce" Soapmakers: " don't worry, we gotcha buddy"

[@lisettegarcia]

Worry

[@JoeHatesItHere]

@@lisettegarcia be happy

[@bowmanc.7439]

Or he could have just used a immersion blender. Those tend to not have much bubbles as long as your liquid is deeper than the intake gaps. I found out about this difference when I was making Konjac tofu. With a blender, you get a solid foam, but with immersion blender, you end up with homogenised jelly, which I can then heat up to cause the starch to gelatinise.

[@_sch_eme_]

@@bowmanc.7439 i think they were talking about that exactly.. soap makers use inmersion blenders lol

[@ericlotze7724]

_They seriously are a great tool, and he should get one though_ , that and glassware for oil extaction etc.

[@Mellwehn]

Can we just take a moment to really appreciate the artistry Alex's filming? Excellent shots.

[@oldvlognewtricks]

Just a moment? The video is thirteen minutes long.

[@brenthumm7919]

Seriously. The last few minutes were some of his best work.

[@pb6839]

just a few years ago he was still filming with a gopro on his head! its great seeing all the success this channel has gotten in the last few years

[@aled58]

Hi Alex, I like your (semi-)scientific approach to cooking a lot. I wanted to share a useful tip I learned in culinary school. When you make a roux it is very important that you have one hot component and one cold component. In your case the roux is hot and your stock is cold before you boil it and your sauce thickens. However, you can switch those functions around. In other words the hot component is your stock and cold component the roux. The way you could do this is by making a roux, of any color, and storing it in the freezer. Than, once you are finishing a sauce you can use a cheese grater to manually grate/add any desired amount of roux to your sauce. In this way you are far less likely to burn your roux (a common mistake in the kitchen) and you can tweak your sauce to perfection since you can add little by little your thickening agent. I hope you can still use this in the next one, love your work!

[@Vad3r]

ok?

[@patrickbateman8094]

@@Vad3r ok?

[@Shinkajo]

@@patrickbateman8094 ok!

[@Miidi8787]

Great tip!

[@SapioiT]

Very interesting. Thanks for sharing. I'm hoping Alex will use xanthan-gum water-roux to make bread with a ridiculously-high hydration-rate, like 500% to 1000% (5 to 10 time more water than flour), or more (with more xanthan-gum added to the water-roux).

[@tokagerkun]

I see a white powder, and as an asian. the answer is: use MSG in EVERYTHING

[@SpencerPetaluma]

@viper or you

[@666Ketz]

haaaiyyyaaa

[@Nussbub]

Uncel Roger would love to hear this

[@insoserious]

ajino is our motto :P

[@Inconito___]

MSG is really nice in sauces but it looks like crystals , Xanthan gum is much closer to a powder

[@benisturning30]

“Can’t believe I found something useful on the internet” - Alex Wait...aren’t you on the internet?

[@user-le8ul4nr5t]

He didn't comment on the usefulness of his videos, for all we know, he might think that his videos are useless.

[@182punkbunny]

ahahahaahha......thats hilarious

[@mrclueuin]

😄😄

[@lemon_boy577]

did he stutter

[@fhqwhgads1670]

thatsthejoke.jpg

[@u2bAriel]

"I can't taste anything..." Nowadays this doesn't bode well...

[@SuperSetright]

Go bold or go home.

[@Ryarios]

[@stevenshea990]

"I can't taste anything since I burned my tongue on the hot roux" That's me literally every time I make roux

[@Ricksteady8]

Do you just like the taste or something? You can see if its not the color you want and if you burn it you will definitely be able to smell it.

[@stevenshea990]

@@Ricksteady8 Dude, it looks like peanut butter, and I like to eat peanut butter, so I try to eat it. I'm not very smart, but I can make a good roux for gumbo

[@Clone683]

*"White Roux"* Cajun cooks have left the chat

[@vengefulspirit99]

Cajun cooks after seeing his "white roux": 🥰

[@Alif-b]

Don’t Cajun cooks make a dark roux, with oil instead of butter

[@alligatormonday6365]

@@Alif-b We use butter or oil, but as far as our roux goes, it's dark, like pure dark chocolate color. Edit: But the darker you cook your roux, the less thickening power it has.

[@auger8451]

@@alligatormonday6365 I was gonna say, if he wants to make gravy, he is looking in all the wrong places

[@onehappydawg]

I live between Baton Rouge and New Orleans and yes, for a gumbo or other dishes like that you definitely need to make a dark roux. But there are times you want a lighter roux. Like when making Alex’s French lasagna 😆 For real though, I’ve made it and it rocks. Everyone who has tried it loves it. Of course I threw in a little heat to make it more southern Louisiana style. The Béchamel white sauce you make for it is made with a white roux. Look up the video and try it. Best lasagna I’ve ever made.

[@FistyCarrera]

*tastes first sauce: "it doesn't tast like chicken enough" *eats chicken: "yeees, it's chickeny"

[@MrMhidoTheBoss]

ahahahah I'm crying

[@cncblitz1722]

the non-clickbaitiest clickbait ever

[@tarpara]

Xantham gum is hydrophobic and oleophilic, hence why it mixes in oil.

[@Shinkajo]

What about homophobic and necrophilic?

[@blorblin]

@@Shinkajo haha edgy funny, get it guys? I know how latin endings work!

[@Shinkajo]

@@blorblin obviously better than you there genious, because they are Greek, not Latin and are called suffixes

[@MikeTrieu]

@@Shinkajo This whole witty banter is just *chef's kiss* right down to the "genious" comment 😂 I had to force my spell check to ignore that misspelling just so I could post this on my phone 🤣

[@Shinkajo]

@@MikeTrieu I'm happy to oblaige

[@shinji7058]

3:02 "smells buttery" - in a beautiful french accent. You're welcome.

[@mondolee]

you’re definitely gonna enjoy the video where he made a million layer pastry

[@juliocjacobo]

Beautiful?

[@stephenpaquet]

You’re going back to the restaurant with a three Michelin star Saucier! Then you’re going to have them judge your sauces, you are a brave SOB. LoL

[@garyheaton3302]

I’ve watched too much Sorted Food. I hear velouté in Jamie Spafford’s mocking voice

[@joeqiao1691]

OMG same

[@olleryden9485]

ketamine goes well with everything indeed mm yes

[@pines.7660]

prediction: its msg Edit: it was not

[@ahmetmertdogan]

i just saw the thumbnail and i was like yup, hes talking about msg

[@EnergyWarrior7995]

It ain't.

[@jeremywarren3485]

too fine to be msg. Im guessing xanthan.

[@luigidipaolo7148]

@@jeremywarren3485 Same

[@luigidipaolo7148]

My second guess is speed

[@thebigh4752]

YOU GOT NATHAN MYHRVOLD ON YOUR CHANNEL!? Ok, now THAT is a sign that you have come far Alex. I was already inspired by you - now I am simply happy for you.

[@myusualnickwastaken]

When mixing a small amount of insoluble powder with a large amount of liquid, it's always going to mix better if you start by adding a small amount of the liquid to the powder to make a paste, and then gradually diluting that until it's runny before mixing it into the liquid. I wonder if you would need to use oil, or this method would work with stock or water.

[@dronillon2578]

This method works great for cocoa powder, so it should work for xanthan too.

[@kylescicluna1541]

Alex: *has an expensive ass pot* Also Alex: *uses a €3 looking whisk*

[@simon_far]

steel whisks would scratch the silver though, I thought it was smart to use a plastic one

[@lvdb85]

The whisk actually melts! You can see red plastic smears after he heats up his roux before adding the stock. Get a proper whisk please Alex..

[@kylescicluna1541]

@@simon_far true but it doesn't mean that he has to use one that i think looks kinda cheap

[@1206549]

@@lvdb85 I think that's sightly burned roux.

[@BelgianGamerNation]

@@1206549 i also think its just roux burns

[@Moose_Hawkins]

*sees the thumbnail* Ah, so now its Alex "El Chapo" Cooking, eh? 😏

[@AngieMeadKing]

Always great content

[@andreivillainy]

Very cool seeing you here Angie! Please post more updates on the ponies! Haha

[@carltomacruz9138]

What a delightful surprise seeing you here!

[@tieember9596]

"I can't believe I found something useful on the internet" *Says a KZbin personality*

[@buzzerede]

He's being facetious

[@Thegamingpenguin]

@@buzzerede *faceous*

[@lilguava70]

Yes.. That's the joke..

[@wujus2]

„09:49” - Alex looks like some kind of movie villan about to take over the world ;D This channel is getting more epic, year after year. I'm amazed by how you can combine interesting content, lots of knowledge and truly fantastic filmography. You don't have to choose one quality, you get all of it. Like a complex flavour of a perfect croissant with a hounderet layers, hidden inside a simple shape.

[@andrewcarr9024]

Love this series. Any chance of posting the full chat with Nathan Myrhvold would be fascinating to see.

[@tonyhollerz6958]

“Use MSG in everything”. -Uncle Roger

[@alexreinking]

Two other thickeners that would work quite well in this application would be gum arabic and pectin since you're heating the sauce up anyway. I typically reserve xanthan for cold applications. Another way to remove the air bubbles in a blender processed xanthan is to strain through a coffee filter or use a chamber vacuum (also quite expensive).

[@christopherbambino6984]

I paused when he got to Xanthan Gum to make a prediction that when he first uses it he finds out just how badly it clumps if you don't use a blender or disperse it in oil first. EDIT: yup, straight to the blender.

[@amaanshah9625]

nice prediction lol

[@instantcash3472]

@@amaanshah9625 I have had minimal issues using xanthan to thicken, but I've always sprinkled over a hot pan of stir fry (replacing corn starch)

[@christopherbambino6984]

@@instantcash3472 Yeah, sprinkle method works fine too as long as it dosnt pool, gotta get that good even spread, summon the inner salt bae.

[@irwige]

Would be interested to see your comparison between roux, tapioca starch, and xanthan gum.

[@fridgemagnet9831]

Tapioca starch can be used as a thickener, didn't know that.

[@awesomesam101]

Late comment, but Adam Ragusea has a video going over all sorts of thickeners---I think all three of those and more.

[@kamo7293]

When he was about to put the gum into the water I was like "wait, stop, hold it" at least he found out that it's supposed to be oil

[@SuperSetright]

What type of fat/oil?

[@xymist5605]

@@SuperSetright Anything. Olive oil, sunflower oil, vegetable oil, lard, melted butter... Whatever.

[@SuperSetright]

@@xymist5605 Thanks for the prompt reply.

[@jon10vi]

2:25 “liquid white” Bob Ross enthusiasts: everything starts with liquid white

[@SirTomFoolery]

That Ramen NASA shirt is my favorite thing ever. I should have subbed sooner but this was the last straw

[@nathan8750]

Man we all thinking the same thing rn aren't we? XD

[@gurmannsingh657]

Yeap

[@fullmoonsociety7463]

Him grabbing his nose is not helping

[@danielgilperez3874]

Msg for sure

[@yucol5661]

It IS a cooking show!

[@origamishiro632]

why does it look like gravy, not gonna lie is gravy just a less french version of velouté sauce?

[@smidey655]

That depends. Gravy isn't really a specific term and means a lot of different things to a lot of different people. One of the major points of the traditional french culinary system is how well codified it is. That is, that names have much more specific meanings for things than a lot of american cooking. Veloute is always going to be a light stock thickened with roux traditionally. Then when different ingredients are added to it, the name changes. For instance if you add a mushroom reduction to Veloute you get a sauce Supreme. In the U.S., my grandmother's gravy and your grandmother's gravy could be entirely different things. Typically you could say that a gravy would most likely be similar to a veloute, it's impossible to know for sure.

[@mitsuracer87]

I mean gravy is basically just a roux with some type of liquid added so yah, close enough

[@SuperJordananderson]

And then Nathan Myrhvold just drops by

[@xelitesebi321]

Yeah I want to see more about his visit! He is immensely influential in multiple disciplines.

[@onehappydawg]

“I can’t believe I found something useful on the internet” says the guy in the video on the internet that I learn useful things about cooking from 🧐 😂 😎👍

[@the_inquisitive_inquisitor]

I've cooked *on* cocaine, but I've never considered cooking *with* cocaine.

[@DofDoej]

Alex, t'es le meilleur, tu ne lâches rien, tes montages sont impressionnant de précision et tu te surpasses de vidéos en vidéos, la qualité des plans est remarquable, tout comme tout ton travail ! Je savoure tes vidéos des yeux sous tous les aspects ! Merci à toi, continue ! Et invites moi à manger ! (Ou sinon viens manger du beouf en Limousin)

[@marks9444]

When Alex smiles at the camera my heart skips a beat.

[@hiradr.a6052]

I've wached enough food war's to know this guys is getting dangerous

[@Zekfrom]

love your leaning series! Croissants were very interesting.

[@DomBill1]

Amazing video Alex, Xanthan gum is created when sugar is fermented by a type of bacteria called Xanthomonas campestris. When sugar is fermented, it creates a broth or goo-like substance, which is made solid by adding an alcohol. It is then dried and turned into a powder. You have smashed it here, awesome dish... 🥘😍😋😎👌🏻

[@autisonm]

Hes using a metal spoon on his brand new saucepan...

[@the-law5065]

it isn't a non stick pan so it doesn't matter I think

[@v7ran]

@@the-law5065 yea it doesn’t matter. Nonstick has that delicate coating but metal doesn’t, and metals (i think silver?) better for sauces because sometimes you need that fond.

[@Juleswebster]

100%, I cringed when I heard the sound of steel scraping his delicate silver lining!

[@Mrshacaco]

Hey @Alex, you used 10 times the amount advised in the book. 0.05% of 500 grams is 0.25g, not 2.5g...

[@lapoupadotcom]

^^^^^ THIS ^^^^^

[@dragon111409]

fun fact , Xanthan gum also works great in setting up whipped cream so it won't melt or break over time in the fridge . Meaning you can do things like decorate a cake in a delicate layer of whipped cream with no eggs or butter needed . it will also keep it from breaking if you add acid like lemon juice.

[@lystfiskerlars]

Once bought a cream thickened with Xanthan and almost vomited after tasting it whipped. I guess this goes to precision scale argument.

[@dragon111409]

@@lystfiskerlars I just give it a pinch it really doesn't take a lot.

[@applegal3058]

I've used gelatin for that purpose also.

[@dragon111409]

@@applegal3058 gelatin also works great though it can make things a little marshmallow-y sometimes.

[@k0zzu21]

In my experience it ruins the taste of cream. Cream taste is very delicate, so even a small amount of additives make a big difference.

[@wilcaillier7409]

"Nascar if you're in the US" lol

[@vagabondwastrel2361]

Say what you want about Nascar but it does have the biggest fan base. Especially after sports associations like NBA and NFL are doing everything they can to dissuade people from watching.

[@clarkjm1fc3s]

The US also has F1.

[@origamihawk]

@@clarkjm1fc3s Circuit of the America's is the only track in the US that F1 has run in the past decade.

[@clarkjm1fc3s]

@@origamihawk true, since 2012. But it's back in the US...

[@XxDTownxX91]

"Working with a white powder in the kitchen feels a bit odd", right after using flour lol

[@recoil53]

In a pro kitchen white powder isn't unusual.

[@kane2742]

I think it was a joke. Chefs have a reputation for cocaine use, and there are loads of white powders commonly used to make foods: flour, cornstarch (and a variety of other starches), powdered sugar, baking soda, baking powder...

[@kuyaleinad4195]

To be fair, Flour in Europe tend to be beige Instead of white 🤷‍♂️ But yeah there’s a lot of white powders in the kitchen

[@austenbeaulieu1305]

Can someone tell him that he just made gravy

[@gegeenblink]

But is it wrong tho

[@MultiUllebulle]

Would using a corn starch slurry for thickening create the same problems as the roux?

[@lisettegarcia]

Yeah, I didn’t want to say it for fear of being considered sacrilegious by real foodies but that would be my go-to. I haven’t had any luck with arrowroot or tartar or faba or any of the thickeners popular these days.

[@Pmillionaire]

Corn starch works for syrupy type sauces but can gel up once it cools down, xanthan gum is pretty stable and thickens alot of different things such as salad dressings which can be served cold without gelling

[@ExaltedDuck]

I strongly prefer cornstarch over flour for thickening gravies. I aim to get a lot of the thickening from reduction around the protein in the drippings, and start to introduce cornstarch slurried in water once it's at a point where further concentration would upset the seasoning balance. As long as it's constantly whisked while incorporated, it won't lump, and it only needs to hit a low simmer to cook and set. Flour needs to go close to the boiling point of water or even slightly past to get its best thickening and lose the flour taste which is why it's made into roux. It also has to be brought back down to see the extent of thickening where cornstarch can more readily work with on-the-fly "by feel". And it doen't kill the stock/broth flavor like Alex noted with his roux.

[@Kenmanhl]

I use corn starch for thickening as well but there is a drawback compared to xantham gum. Sauces thickened with starch will start breaking down from enzymes in saliva particles on your eating utensil and by halfway through your meal the sauce on your plate will be less thickened.

[@lisettegarcia]

@@Kenmanhl - cornstarch gets gluey as it cools, so what is left on the plate definitely does not get less thickened. If anything, it is quite the opposite.

[@henry7001]

Kinda disappointed that it wasn't cocaine, to be honest...

[@d0_z3n]

Haha

[@roylim1169]

Thought it was msg

[@VallornDeathblade]

Another possible solution could be a Corn Starch mixture or Corn Flour as a thickening agent, they tend to lack the need for making a roux with butter and are used in thickening some other dishes. I use Masa Harina (A very soft Corn Flour) in my homemade chili to give an unctuous thickness to the sauce.

[@TheNonameSenki]

Alex, what is the health effects or risks of xanthan? I know that a lot of processed food contains xanthan. Still, I'm not entirely sure if its good for us or not. Did you research this topic or do you have any information about it?

[@xxxsasorixxx]

i just love that book like imo "Modernist cuisine" is the only book (book collection) you need.

[@Markus__B]

It´s one of the few cooking books i own. I wouldn´t say MC is the only one you need but it´s one you have to have.

[@xxxsasorixxx]

@@Markus__B like those cheatsheets in there are great and there are cheatsheets for everything.

[@tagamro]

He knew exactly what he was doing with that thumbnail haha

[@TheRusty]

Hearing Alex use that metal spoon in his new pan made me cry

[@steelcucumber5708]

it's copper. no coating.

[@henrikginnerup8345]

@@steelcucumber5708 It's coated with silver

[@mamadragon2581]

Know how you feel. When I heard that, I was going "Nonononono! No, Alex, no!"

[@steelcucumber5708]

@@henrikginnerup8345 could it be zinc?

[@TheRusty]

@@steelcucumber5708 technically the inside is solid silver. So true, no coating. BUT STILL.

[@rickharriss]

Xanthan gum whisked into hot milk makes a great cappuccino coffee. Pour over a cup of black coffee slightly stir to make the coffee milky but retain the frothy top. I only use the tip of the handle of the spoon to transfer a small amount of Xanthan gum to the milk.

[@Ryzler13]

3:42 NOOOOOOOOO Putain de merde! Silver plated! use wood or bamboo. no plastic it melts. plastic chopping board if you like eating plastic shavings. Also they use blow torch to remove bubbles from Epoxy resin. might help remove foam.

[@KevLo64]

Hey Alex, if you want to remove the air from the liquid without the fat after blending it with xanthan gum just put it in a wide and tall container (it will expand) and run it through the vacpac machine several times

[@VashTS7]

Yells in a thousand voices of French culinary chefs.

[@ShanghaiBJJ]

So let me get this straight: when the sauce doesn't taste enough like roasted chicken, you just...... Eat it with chicken???

[@y2ksw1]

Yeah, nobody noted this coincidence 😄

[@ThePhantazmya]

Well would you eat your chicken with thickened water or would you like the sauce to intensify the chicken flavor?

[@y2ksw1]

@@ThePhantazmya I'd create a sauce which enhances the flavour, but not using chicken.

[@y2ksw1]

@Luke Perret Most of the times, sauces are made while cooking, at least in households. I make my sauces separately, as a taste enhancer, because I like to experiment. It is perfectly fine to use stock sauces with meat of the same kind, but I can't see the point if I already have a strong taste of a kind and enhance that even more with the same kind. I found that spices and certain contrasting tastes give additional information and can make a good piece an excellent one.

[@Suchti500]

Hey Alex, Ive seen your Video about Xanthan gum and was thrilled to try your technique to bind sauces, my problem is that whatever i use (water,jus,fond etc) the oil xanthan mixture never mixes with the liquid In the case with water its just completely seperated, with jus some of it mixes but there are still some chuncks of oil+xanthan remaining Do you have any advice or idea how i could fix that ? Best regards Lukas!

[@sebastianthor546]

Actually, if you add roux equal to 10 percent of the weight of stock, then it's just 9 percent of the sauce (1:10 means 1/11 is roux) . But only a mathematician (and really nerdy people) would notice that, so I'll allow it.

[@inkblotCrisis]

11:58 I want to see their reaction to your SAUCEPAN.

[@andymouse]

Yeah and the use of Gum !

[@susceptibility_]

Never been here so early, so I have no clue what to write in the comment section

[@snifey7694]

Something about gun and gum

[@balintx2980]

dikk egy magyar

[@gggggggggggd1]

Something with words, about some subject

[@000AllLitUp000]

Then why say anything at all?

[@Max-lf4br]

0:39 that sound scarred my soul

[@ThisIsMyFullName]

7:57 I hope you see the irony of this, Alex. You just made roux by dispersing flour in fat first, before you used it in liquid, but you didn't even consider that Xanthan Gum could work in exactly the same way xD

[@nansen1678]

This! I had the exact same idea, that the process is exactly the same with flour and xanthan gum.

[@levifromthehood]

Me: Alex, you need to put this into your nose. Alex: proceeds to put cocaine into his sauce.

[@rickharriss]

Alex, In the first of this series you ask for our Sauce experiments. For Fish, Chicken, I generally use crème fraîche. I add for two, a table spoon of crème fraîche, vegetable stock - to avoid watering down the finished sauce I use a stock cube crumbled into the crème fraîche, about 2 table spoons of milk. Heat stirring until the sauce combines and thickens. Job done. You can add herbs etc at this stage as you like. This will keep warm on a low heat for a while but will get thicker so keep an eye on it add a little milk or butter if needed.. In a similiar way i make a mock Hollandaise sauce with crème fraîche an egg yolk and white wine vinegar and butter. This has a good texture and flavour but is way quicker to make for the less skilled. Nice cooking by the way.

[@KeeganLeahy]

you say you need 0.05% xanthan gum, but then you say you need 2.5g for 500ml (~500g) of stock, which is 0.5%. Why is there this discrepancy?

[@Centigonos]

At 5:45, wouldn't 0.05% of 500ml be 0.25 grams instead of 2.5 grams? Just sayin'...

[@morfeyy-]

Alex: Shows bag of cocaine. Also Alex: *Is it bad to put it in sauce ?uestionmark*

[@frankhoffman3566]

I'm not putting xanthan gum in anything and I'm not buying anything with xanthan gum in it - or any other gum. Sorry, but you can keep the avant garde food chemistry.

[@edzmuda6870]

Sodium Citrate is another fun thing to have in your modernist cuisine arsenal. You can make really creamy cheese sauces and spreads without using traditional emulsifiers which mute the cheese flavor.

[@harryhubble3114]

Bru I reset my iPad and I’ve forgot ur name but I never forgot u as a person and I have been trying to find you and I’ve finally got you W🤗 It’s been three months

[@albertloan396]

Another reason to use xanthan gum is that it is extremely low in carbohydrates, especially compared to wheat flour. It is what allows diabetics to enjoy soups and sauces and other foods that require thickening, without spiking their blood glucose.

[@kagamatzu]

5:49 Actually 0.05% of 500ml = 0.25grams isn't it?

[@0bm4R]

Basic maths maybe ? 0.05% of 500ml are 0.25 gr and no 2.5...

[@secondplace7111]

I saw the thumbnail and kinda maybe thought crack cocaine

[@alexcicala9930]

I just saw you were nominated for a Streamy Award! I love Babish, but you’ve got a passion that makes your vids inspirational - I hope you win

[@Shinkajo]

Babish is a hack

[@ChesterSx]

Use a vackpack machine to remove the bubbles :)