Slurries

“Slurry,” in the culinary vocabulary, means a starchwater amalgam that becomes gelatinous. The mix of cornstarch or flour and water that people use to thicken a gravy is a kind of slurry. In contemporary gluten-free baking, slurries are most commonly made with ground seeds, generally flax or chia, and have to stand at least a couple of hours before they’re ready for use. Some cooks swear by slurries, but this kind of magic rubber band takes time to prepare, and the performance isn’t consistent enough for everyday use. For me, it’s less about time or fine-tuning than that gluten-free foods made with slurries often look what I call melty.