For making gravy, use a slurry made with arrowroot starch instead of wheat flour; it thickens better than gluten flour, anyway. I like to add a dash of dry sherry, brandy, or wine to the gravy as well. (What's a slurry? Stir a tablespoon of arrowroot starch into an equal amount of cold water. You now have a slurry. Add it to the gravy and stir over gentle heat till thickened.) Arrowroot, by the way, is a starchy powder made from West Indies tubers. It's a good choice for those avoiding corn and potato.
Other starches also work for thickening gravy, sauces and soups:
Potato starch is a Kosher favorite for thickening. Make a slurry and add it to gravies, sauces and soups. Stir constantly as you heat gently till thickened- and don't boil it. Potato flour can get lumpy. It's not my favorite thickener.
Cornstarch may be used to thicken stir-fry sauces and chile that you'll be eating right away (it doesn't freeze well). Cornstarch also creates a glossy look (I don't like my gravy shiny) and it doesn't re-heat well. It also gets a bit gluey for my taste if it starts to over-cook.
Tapioca starch (also a tuber- called manioc, yucca or cassava) thickens a sauce rather quickly. You can add it to a soup or sauce near the end of cooking time if you need to.
Taste test and make sure the starch slurry you added has cooked enough so that your sauce, gravy or soup doesn't taste "starchy"; if it does, continue to stir and cook a bit longer.
For making a roux- a cooked flour and butter paste used as a thickening base in white sauces, stews, cream soups, gumbo, and cheesy dishes like macaroni and cheese- there are several choices.
Sweet rice flour is an excellent choice for making a roux; it has a lovely neutral taste and is tolerated by most- except those allergic to rice.
If you need to avoid rice flour in a roux I might suggest using sorghum flour- it works.
And if you are avoiding grains completely, try making a slurry with potato starch instead and adding it into the liquid as you heat it. Use sparingly- as potato starch or potato flour thickens and clumps quickly.
Other thickening ideas include:
Add some cooked mashed or baked potato, or even sweet potato; whisk it in; stir well and cook gently.
If you can do eggs, adding egg yolks helps to thicken a sauce or soup base. Stir and cook through thoroughly but do not boil or heat too quickly; use gentle, lower heat and whisk to blend
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Using gums for a gluten sub:
Xanthan gum is a cellulose additive that adds stretch and viscosity to gluten-free recipes, but those who are hyper-sensitive to corn (xanthan gum is often derived from a corn base) might try using guar gum.
Guar gum is legume derived, so those who are sensitive to beans, soy or legumes may react to it. Even if one is not allergic to legumes, guar gum may act as a laxative in sensitive individuals.
I was recently asked about baking with no gums. Here are some thoughts:
Try adding a tablespoon of potato starch, or tapioca starch (or arrowroot); certain starches have a binding ability, especially when whisked with warm liquid.
If you can handle eggs- try adding an extra whipped egg white
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Adding 1-2 tablespoons of honey- or agave- to a baking recipe adds moisture and binding.
If you can tolerate flax seed meal; try making a gel and adding a tablespoon to recipes. It doesn't bind quite as well- but it adds fiber and has a lovely texture.
For things like muffins and quick breads- I have a crazy thought. How about adding a half cup of fruit jam to the batter? The fruit pectin will help with binding and moisture.
In all my experimenting, I have found that not using gums does make for a crumbly, more fragile result. Though flax seed meal can definitely help
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