Most chefs use xanthan gum for many of their dressings, sauces and soups, but it may sound foreign to many home chefs. It is a great gluten substitute and is available at most local supermarkets.
It is a whitish powder, a polysaccharide, and is a by-product of bacterial fermentation. The bacteria used to start the fermentation process, Xanthomonas campestris, is the same bacteria responsible for causing black rot to form on broccoli, cauliflower and other leafy vegetables.
In salad dressings xanthan gum prevents oil separation by stabilizing the emulsions, although it is not an emulsion, solid particles such as spices and herbs are suspended in the dressings.
It is sometimes found in toothpastes as a binder to keep products uniform.
In egg substitutes, xanthan gum thickens the end product by replacing the fat and emulsifiers present in the yolk.
In gluten-free baking, xanthan gum gives the dough or batter the stickiness that would otherwise be achieved by gluten in the wheat flour.
In ice cream, xanthan gum increases its texture with less fat. It also acts as an emulsifier that creates micro-air bubbles which give volume and lightness to the ice cream.
An important use of this product is for those unable to swallow, as xanthan gum thickens liquids so they are able to “drink” with a spoon. I can remember feeding my mother this thick liquid with a spoon in her late stages of her Alzheimer’s disease, when she could not swallow or sip water from a straw.
The potential uses of xanthan gum is being researched in tissue engineering to construct hydrogels and scaffolds.
There are also health benefits, such as the extra dietary fiber that helps people with constipation and the slowed sugar absorption in digestion. A study of diabetic patients found that after six weeks of eating 12 grams of xanthan gum in their food, they lowered their blood sugar and cholesterol.
Chef Jason Fox of Commonwealth in San Francisco says “With xanthan, you can change the texture of a liquid without changing its flavor. You get great mouthfeel and flavor without using a lot of fat.” Chef Jesse Schenker of Recette in New York City says “Without xanthan, I couldn’t make the sauce: I’d have to make an herb oil that would taste more like oil than herbs.”
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Bartender Kevin Denton of WD-50 in New York City used xanthan simple syrup to give cocktails an extra-silky texture.
Simple Syrup
First make a simple syrup:
Simmer 1-1/2 cups sugar with 1-1/2 cups water in a saucepan, stirring frequently, until the sugar has dissolved. You will end up with 2-1/4 cups. Let it cool completely.
Xanthan Simple Syrup
Pour 2-1/4 cups cold Simple Syrup into a blender. With the blender one, add 0.5 grams or 1/8 teaspoon xanthan and blend until slightly thickened, 15 seconds. Chill until clear, at least 4 hours.
Creole Old-Fashioned
Fill a rocks glass with ice. In a cocktail shaker, stir together 1 ounce Cognac, 1 ounce Demerara (a dark rum from Guyana), 1 teaspoon xanthan simple syrup and a dash each of Angostura bitters and orange bitters. Pour the mixture into the rocks glass, garnish with an orange twist and serve.
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Here’s a watermelon soup recipe from chef James Bissonnette of Copa in Boston.
Cold Watermelon Soup
Serves 4
5 cups (1.5 pounds) diced seedless watermelon, chilled
2 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoon chervil leaves
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 grams xanthan gum (1/2 teaspoon)
Tabasco Sauce
Salt
Chervil or shredded shiso leaves for garnish
In a blender, puree the diced watermelon with the fresh lime juice, chervil leaves and extra-virgin olive oil until the mixture is very smooth. Set a fine-mesh strainer over a large bowl and strain the watermelon puree, pressing very lightly on the solids to extract the watermelon juice without pushing the pulp through.
Foodie bites
If you bake gluten free, you would have seen recipes either ask for xanthan gum or guar gum. Both are similar and serve as thickeners and emulsifiers. You can use either one of them or use them both in combinations.
Guar gum is made from legumes called guar beans. It is also a polysaccharide, with a long chain of bonded carbohydrate molecules called mannose and galactose. It is safe, except in large amounts, when used for weight loss. It could cause obstruction of the esophagus and small bowel and therefore the FDA has banned the use of guar gum in weight loss products.
Maybe we should stick to xanthan gum for thickening and an emulsifying ingredient.
Email Audrey Wilson at audreywilson808@gmail.com.