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Thickening a lemon glaze

post #1 of 12
3/11/10 at 3:24pm
Thread Starter 
I want to make a lemon glaze for grilled chicken. I was thinking I could use chicken broth, lemon squeezings, some herbs and maybe a dash fo dijon mustard. But I want it to be a little thicker and don't want to turn it white or brown. In fact I would rather have not use chicken broth because I would really like a clear glaze to put on the grilled chicken. Of course, I guess I'd have to skip the dijon also.

Any ideas? I'm just looking for a light, clear, lemony finish for grilled chicken.

Thanks for the input.

Scott
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post #2 of 12
3/11/10 at 3:35pm
if you're happy with the flavour of your sauce, use arrowroot to thicken it. It doesnt colour,or cloud the sauce.
"If we're not supposed to eat animals, why are they made of meat?" Jo Brand
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post #3 of 12
3/11/10 at 4:23pm
You can use a modified food starch, tapioca starch.arrowroot, xanthium gum. or just cook it down. Or you could use some corn syrup with lemon juice and grated lemon rind s& white pepper.shot of white wine and chopped chives.
CHEFED
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post #4 of 12
3/11/10 at 4:53pm
Thread Starter 
Awsome! Thanks for the answers. I should have thought of the lemon zest. I don't have arrowroot or tapioca starch, but it is on my list. I do have the chives in it, no pepper but I have some white wine. I tasted what I had just now and it's just flat. No "zing." I'm not looking for a mouth biting flavor, but I would like some flavor that says "I'm here!" Maybe I need some more lemon juice. I'll try adding a little wine first.
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post #5 of 12
3/11/10 at 5:20pm
Thread Starter 
Here's what I ended up with. It's just OK.
15oz Chicken Broth (1 can)
some parsley (chopped, about 3 tbsp)
some chives (copped, about 1 tbsp)
1 tsp dijon mustard
1 small lemon squeezings (I love saying that). I would have added the grated lemon peel if I hadn't sent it down the disposal already.
1 glug of white wine

Heat the broth to a simmer. Whisk in the dijon mustard and the herbs. Add the wine.

What I have to add is the thickening agent. I'll try that when I have it.

I guess the white pepper would add a little flavor, but can you see anything that I should have added? Salt?

Thanks to you for your responses.

Scott
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post #6 of 12
3/11/10 at 5:57pm
Thread Starter 
Not done with this yet!

The sauce sits and the mustard separates. Will the thickening help keep that from happening?
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post #7 of 12
3/12/10 at 2:56am
Lemon juice is used as a substitute in sodium free diets so I would not add much salt. Try putting in some bay leaf and thyme when cooking chicken stock then strain it out. This may give you additional flavor. Keep experimenting you will get what you want. Also by adding that shot of corn syrup will jazz it up a bit like sweet and sour.
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post #8 of 12
3/12/10 at 5:30am
What about butter?  Or is it too watery for that to work?
"Siduri said, 'Gilgamesh, where are you roaming? You will never find the eternal life that you seek...Savour your food, make each of your days a delight, ... let music and dancing fill your house, love the child who holds you by the hand and give your wife pleasure in your embrace.'"
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post #9 of 12
3/12/10 at 2:40pm
Butter would work fine as a beurre blanc or something very much like it.  Unfortunately, unless you added something else to hold it together like cream as in a beurre Nantais, a clear sauce thickened only by mounting butter would break too easily.  Besides, you're never going to really get anything you'd call a "glaze" that way. 

You want starch.  Flour is out for a lot of reasons.  Lemon is really too acid for corn starch, and besides the corn starch would cloudy things up a lot.  The best choice is probably arrowroot. 

To get "glaze" consistency, you'll want about 2 tsp of arrowroot per cup of liquid.  Dissolve it in a slurry before adding it to hot but not boiling liquid.  Either turn the heat off and add the arrowroot, or add the arrowroot over a low flame and remove the pan from the fire immediately afterwards.   

I'd use something like 1 cup of lemon juice, 1 cup of white wine or rice vinegar, 1 or 2 tbs of white sugar, salt and pepper to taste, brought to a boil, reduced to a simmer, then thickened with 1-1/2 or 2 tbs arrowroot.  Other herbs and seasoning as desired.
BDL
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post #10 of 12
3/14/10 at 4:26pm
I'd also kick that lemon zest in to give you the "boost" in lemon flavor you're looking for.   The zest can kick in more lemon flavor than the juice!

Sounds good and the concept is really interesting.   I may have to try it.
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post #11 of 12
3/15/10 at 8:55pm
Agree on the arrowroot.  If the wanted result is clear, then cornstartch won't suit, as it will cloud it up.  Having said that, cornstarch (cornflour)  holds its thickness longer than arrowroot.  But as per BDL's post, probably not the ideal thickener.  Depends how long you want to hold it for.

Reducing the canned broth to concentrate the flavour before adding your thickener may assist.  Are you using made mustard or mustard powder?  Either way - (I'm sure it's too late posting this now for your meal) - a quick whisk  with a stick blender could probably help.
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post #12 of 12
6/7/10 at 7:25am

You can thicken just about any glaze or sauce by adding 1 tbs corn starch dissolved in 2 tbls water. You can adjust this as you need. I hope this helps.

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