Thickening with Tapioca
Use tapioca as a last minute thickener. The powder thickens quickly on low temperatures. Take care to use a small amount at a time. If your dish will be frozen, use tapioca instead of cornstarch or flour. It will retain its thick texture.
Choose tapioca starch to thicken pies or stews. Tapioca pearls are generally used to create tapioca pudding, which retain small balls of starchy tapioca. You can use instant tapioca to thicken pies if you grind it first in a food processor.
Thickening with Other Products
Choose unsweetened chocolate over semi-sweet chocolate to make a thick chocolate sauce or ganache. Add sweetener later and you will have a rich sauce.
Use cream to thicken and fatten a sauce. If you prefer to leave some of the fat out of a cream-based recipe, you can use evaporated milk with a cornstarch thickener. Yogurt is also used in certain soups and sauces to create a creamy base, near the end of cooking process.
Temper egg yolks to use them as a thickener. This is a temperamental thickener because the substance can easily curdle and should not be heated over 190° F (88° C). Add hot liquid to the egg yolks slowly as you whip them, then whisk it into the hot liquid after the mixture is tempered.
Use gelatin or pectin according to package directions. These are found in the supermarket and they are used to form thick, gelatinous deserts or jams.
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