Thicken beans for the ideal texture.
Whether refried, baked, slow cooked, in a soup or in a burrito, thin and runny beans are problematic in any recipe. Thickening the beans will hold them together, improving texture to make recipes a success. There is no lack of variety when using beans, but one thing is guaranteed: thickening bean dishes just takes a bit of technique.
Instructions
1. Boil down the liquid. Using more liquid than is necessary to cook the beans make any bean dish thin, watery, and unappetizing. Simmering away the liquid on a medium-low setting will dry up the dish while adding flavor. Since you don't want to lose any of the seasonings and spices, add them after getting rid of the excess liquid.
2. Mash the beans. When making bean dishes, there is plenty of starch inside the beans. Making refried beans is just an example of thickening using the starch inside the beans. Use a potato masher or ladle to mash some of the beans, startint with a quarter cup. The starch inside the beans will hold water, letting your dish take on the thickness. The secret ingredient here is heat: without heat, the starch will clump and no thickening will take place Continue heating the beans on low until you get the desired thickness.
3. Add starch. If you want to keep your beans intact, use a commercial starch instead of mashing the beans. Mix 1/4 tbsp. of cornstarch in 1 tbsp. of water to make a slurry, and gradually whisk it into the liquid surrounding the beans to thicken the dish. Beurre mani , a combination of fat and starch, can be used to thicken liquid based bean dishes, such as a black bean soup. Kneed equal parts of flour and soft butter together, add to the liquid, and whisk in thoroughly.
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