Cornstarch
Cornstarch is a fine, flavorless starch milled from corn, used primarily to thicken sauces, soups, and fillings, and as a crisping agent in frying.
How to buy
Look for a fine, pure white powder with no clumps or off smell. Generic and name-brand versions are essentially identical in performance.
How to store
Keep in an airtight container in a cool, dry pantry, where it keeps almost indefinitely as long as it stays dry. Moisture is the main risk, since it causes clumping.
Culinary profile
- Flavor
- Essentially flavorless, which is exactly why it's valued as a thickener that doesn't alter a dish's taste.
- Texture
- A silky fine powder, typically mixed with cold liquid into a slurry before being added to hot liquid, where it thickens into a glossy, smooth gel. Used dry as a dredge, it produces an extra-crisp fried coating.
- Aroma
- A neutral, faintly starchy smell.
How to prepare
- Slurried for thickening — Mixed with cold water before stirring into hot liquid to thicken smoothly without lumps.
- Dredged for frying — Coated onto meat before frying for an extra-crisp, light crust.
- Dusted on dough — Sprinkled to prevent sticky doughs or candies from clumping together.
- Used in velveting marinades — Mixed with egg white and seasoning to coat meat for tender, silky stir-fries.
Classic dishes
American
- Fruit pie filling — Fruit juices thickened with cornstarch to set into a sliceable pie filling.
- Classic gravy — Pan drippings thickened with a cornstarch slurry into smooth gravy.
- Vanilla pudding — A stovetop custard thickened and set using cornstarch.
Chinese
- Beef and broccoli — A stir-fry sauce thickened with cornstarch into a glossy coating.
- General Tso's chicken — Fried chicken coated and later glazed in a cornstarch-thickened sweet-spicy sauce.
- Orange chicken — Crispy fried chicken coated in cornstarch before being tossed in a citrus glaze.
- Sweet and sour sauce — A tangy sauce thickened with cornstarch to a glossy, clinging consistency.
- Velveted stir-fry chicken — Chicken coated in a cornstarch marinade for an exceptionally tender, silky bite.
- Egg drop soup — A light broth thickened slightly with cornstarch before ribbons of egg are added.
- Hot and sour soup — A tangy, peppery soup given body with a cornstarch slurry.
- Chinese egg tarts — A silky custard tart filling sometimes stabilized with a touch of cornstarch.
Japanese
- Karaage — Japanese fried chicken coated in cornstarch for a light, shatteringly crisp crust.
- Tempura batter — A light frying batter often including cornstarch for extra crispness.
French
- Fruit coulis — A smooth fruit sauce occasionally thickened lightly with cornstarch.
Thai
- Pad see ew sauce — A dark, savory stir-fry sauce lightly thickened with cornstarch for cling.
British & Irish
- Lemon curd — A tangy citrus spread sometimes set with a touch of cornstarch alongside egg.