Most of us keep a box of corn flour for thickening a sauce and forget about it. It is worth more attention. It makes shortbread melt in the mouth, gives fried food a crisp coating and turns milk into custard. Here is how to use it.
1. Thickening without lumps
Mix 1 tablespoon of corn flour with 2 tablespoons of cold water until smooth. Stir it into a simmering sauce, soup or stew and cook for a minute or two until it thickens. Always mix with cold liquid first. Adding the powder straight to hot liquid makes lumps.
2. Simple homemade custard
Whisk 2 tablespoons of corn flour, 3 tablespoons of castor sugar and 1 egg yolk with a little of 2 cups of cold milk. Heat the rest of the milk until steaming, pour it over the mixture, then return everything to the pot. Stir over low heat until thick, then add 1 teaspoon of vanilla essence. If you want a quicker option, custard powder does the same job.
3. Melt-in-the-mouth shortbread
Beat 250g soft butter with 1/2 cup icing sugar until creamy. Stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla, then 1 3/4 cups cake flour and 3/4 cup corn flour. Roll into small balls or press into a tin, prick with a fork and bake at 160 degrees Celsius for 20 to 25 minutes, until pale golden. Cool on the tray, because they are fragile while warm.
4. A crisp coating
Toss pieces of chicken, fish or vegetables in a mix of corn flour, salt and pepper before frying. The coating turns light and crunchy, and stays crisp longer than one made with plain flour.
Tips
- Keep it dry. Store the box closed in a cool, dry cupboard.
- Do not boil it for long. Cooking for too long can make a thickened sauce thin out again.
- Add to desserts gradually. Stir constantly so the custard does not catch on the bottom.
Questions we get asked
Is corn flour the same as maize meal?
No. Corn flour is a very fine white starch. Maize meal is coarser and made from the whole grain.
Why is my sauce lumpy?
The corn flour went straight into hot liquid. Mix it with cold water first, then stir it in.
Can I use it instead of plain flour?
For thickening, yes, and you need about half as much. In baking, only swap in small amounts, as in the shortbread above.
Stock the cupboard
Corn flour, sugars, essence and custard powder are all in the full Modaks range.
Not sure how much to order for a big batch? Call us on 011 857 1534 or reply to any of our emails and we will gladly work it out with you.
Happy baking.
The Modaks Kitchen