Any suggestions for a flour substitute? Wife has the gluten thing going... wonder if corn or rice flour would ruin it. I assume the flour is just for thickening...
It's more than just thickening, it's a roux the way they're doing it. My suggestion:
You are going to lose a tiny bit of nutty flavor that fried flour gives, but it won't be much and will be equally thick. Heavy cream is going to make up for some of the richness lost by not using a roux.
Here is the modified directions:
- In a heavy stock pot, over medium-high heat, render the bacon, until crispy, about 8 minutes. Stir in the leeks, onions, and corn. Saute for about 2 minutes or until the vegetables start to wilt. Season the vegetables with salt and pepper. Add the bay leaves and thyme. Add the potatoes. Stir in the wine and butter. Add the scallops and simmer for 2 minutes. With a whisk, stir in 1/4 cup corn starch 1/4 cup hot water slurry. Bring the liquid up to a boil and reduce to simmer until the potatoes are fork tender, about 12 minutes. Add the cream, bring up to simmer. Stir in the parsley. Season with salt and pepper if needed.
When you use a corn starch slurry, it will tend to settle, so it's like a 3-handed operation. I keep a fork in the slurry to keep it suspended, pour some in while whisking the gravy, mix it up, then agitate the slurry again, repeat. You want to keep that cornstarch suspended, but you also want to add the slurry slowly and keep it agitated until the white color disappears, otherwise it might lump. Use hot water, helps prevents a lump.
You'll want to add the corn starch before the 12 minutes, so it has a time to cook it, otherwise it will be raw and while not bad, it will be bland. You want as much sweetness out of that starch as you can get, but you can't add it too early or it's just going to coat your ingredients.
Good luck and report back.
