curdling

[COLLEGIATE]

This morning we made ham and scalloped potato. The potatoes were parital cooked. Made a roux for the sauce.
We used 1gallon carnation and 1 qt. 2% milk. Why would
it seperate and curdle somewhat??? When stirred
it didnot look real bad but still can't figure why the reaction . In all the infinite wisdom out there I know you all will figure a possible answer.

Lady Hawk

HELP OUR ABUSED AND NEGLECTED CHILDREN
BECOME A CASA VOLUNTEER.

[scott123]

I'm guessing excess water from the potatoes is partially responsible, but the real culprit here is the salt from the ham. Milk that isn't quite so fresh curdles easier as well.
Could you describe your roux?
Also, what is carnation? Is that instant milk?

[Tricia]

There isn't enough butterfat to prevent the mix splitting.

[COLLEGIATE]

Scott,

The roux was made with 8 oz butter and 4 ounces margarine.
I used canned carnation milk and I'm not sure of the butterfat if any. So a whole milk will hold up better than a reduced fat milk??
Would cream work as well perhaps with whole milk??
I partial cooked the potatoes because of water content being
a possible problem.
Now as for the ham I never knew salt would have an effect
so thank you for that information. YOU ALL ARE GREAT

Ladyhawk

Help our Abused and neglected children become a CASA
VOLUNTEER

[COLLEGIATE]

There isn't enough butterfat to prevent the mix splitting.

Thank you for that information. How much butterfat would
be required for the amount of the recipe. I think I put it in my first post.

[dnelson]

How much flour in your roux?

[COLLEGIATE]

How much flour in your roux?

18 ounces

[cheflayne]

How long did you cook the roux and when incorporating it into the sauce did you do cold roux/hot sauce or hot roux/cold sauce or how?

[SaintBlu]

Wait a minute... Are you saying If I put salt in my milk it will curdle it? If that is true and your positive then that is something that is very useful to me.

[dano1]

use whole milk not 2%. Ever tried making a quiche or creme anglaise with 2%? i don't recommend it .
hth, danny

[cheflayne]

I don't use 2% when making quiche or creme anglaise. I go to the other end of the spectrum and use manufacturing cream, but as for the roux based sauce why wouldn't 2% work fine?

[Ellen]

I make scolloped potatoes with raw spuds, buttered and s&p between each layer with anything else in between. I have never used any meats tho. Just onion and herbs, or nothing. When the dish is full enough I pour full cream over the whole thing to cover and bake till it looks finished. Seems to work OK. This salt thing is interesting. How come it works if I s&p each layer? What am I missing here.

[Tricia]

but as for the roux based sauce why wouldn't 2% work fine?

Unless you have equal parts fat and flour it's going to be an icky sauce. The original sauce was made with 18oz of flour and 12oz fat, and then a good dose of low fat milk is thrown in. The only way that would hold would be to thicken with a cornflour slurry in my opinion. Then what's the point of using a roux? If it had started out with the normal ratio of fat and flour, the 2% would probably have been fine. A little thin and not as rich but no curdling.

[cheflayne]

I am not all that familiar with roux, but wouldn't more flour than fat make for a really thick, somewhat pasty sauce, not a thin one that would need to be thickened with a cornstarch slurry.