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Potato Starch v. Potato Flour
Good morning, all! So, for my Valentine, I am making David Tanis's (NYT City Kitchen) Lobster Pot Pie . He writes: "Regarding the sauce, many recipes call for a flour-thickened, milk-based sauce [...] Here it is made with half-and-half, lightly cooked leeks and celery, a touch of potato starch and a dollop of crème fraîche. The difference is palpable." Not that I am going to be palpating anything lobster related, but at the store, I was confronted by Bob's Red Mill Potato Starch and Bob's Red Mill Potato Flour. I wanted to buy/store just one container, but was intrigued by the potato flour and an adjunct to my bread making. I ended up buying the potato starch because I'll bet David Tanis knows more than I do. But I was wondering, are the two interchangeable or is the starch more sauce friendly and the flour more for baked goods?
Thanks for your help.
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They are indeed different. The difference is exactly like you said it...one acts more like cornstarch and one acts more like flour! The absorption properties are definitely where you see the most variability between the two, so don't interchange
Flour is not a necessity in making that sauce. A simple reduction of the half and half (and no I don't mean use less) would get you the same effect. Also, a potato itself, would thicken the sauce. It would just require a bit more work (ie: cooking, ricing, whipping the potato) . But that's for next time, should you put this in your repetoire
Potato flour is basically dehydrated, ground whole potatoes, while potato starch, is just that, the starch component of the potato (complex carbohydrates). Since potatoes have a very high starch content, so does potato flour. However, nutritionally speaking, potato flour is high in iron, has a bit of protein and vitamin C, while potato starch has none of these. Both potato flour and stach can act as thickening agents, but they are not interchangeable. I love adding 1 or 2 tablespoons of potato flour to cake'and loave recipes and a bit less to cookies, as the potato flour gives them a lovely crunchy surface and moist crumb.
I'm also making this for my Wonderful Valentine ! Off to the store now and was wondering if anyone who has made this, can give me any last minute pointers. Additionally, where can I find this potato starch when shopping in Chelsea NYC? Any suggestions before I head out? Thank you so much!