Bechamel Sauce made with rice flour for a celiac guest - how does it taste?

[ElizabethS]

I'm making a cauliflower gratin and I usually make a bechamel then add lots of cheese and 3 eggs and pour over the steamed cauliflower and bake (delicious actually)

A friend is coming who is celiac - can I successfully substitute rice flour for regular flour? Same quantities? Other suggestions?

TIA

[escondido123]

This is a general question based upon the celiac issue. Why look for a substitution for wheat flour in a dish that does can be made without any flour at all? I use this discussion as a place to ask this question because there is no reason to make a flour-based sauce to create a gratin.

[Rella]

I know that you are inquiring re rice flour.

Just a thought as I have the last few days considered making a bechamel using tapioca flour, I'm wondeing if it would work also.

Also, I can't confirm that tapioca is not a problem for celiacs.

Sorry to interrupt, just musing, and working toward a solution.

[todao]

Tapioca flour can be used to prepare a bechamel sauce. Unless it's manufactured with added ingredients (read the nutritional information on the label) tapioca is gluten free. Another reason for checking the label is that some products are processed in plants where other products (like nuts, gluten laiden foods, etc.) are also processed so cross contamination is always a possibility and the label should include that information.
Rule of thumb for ingredients that may adversely affect people with food allergies:
"If in doubt, leave it out""

[Rella]

I recently bought some more tapioca flour, as I tried using it instead of flour in an apple pie filling and I liked the texture better than flour. Thanks for your reply.

[escondido123]

I make a cauliflower gratin and use no flour of any kind. I heat heavy cream, add grated cheeses until melted and smooth, then cauliflower s&p. More cheese on top if you like and bake until bubbly, brown and tender.

[ElizabethS]

This is my fallback - but will add a couple of eggs because we like the puffiness.... Thx

[todao]

Yes, you can use rice flour. As far as quantities are concerned, I make mine "free hand" without benefit of measuring so I can't help you there. I find it works better if I soak the rice flour for about an hour before starting the bechamel, but it will work either way.
Check your cheese - some cheeses contain gluten by virtue of the additives used in its development and shelf life projections..
Have you ever considered making your bechamel using only eggs instead of flour, corn starch or other powdery thickeners? It works very well. I believe it's called "Velouté" in the trades.

[ElizabethS]

Thanks - what do you soak the rice flour in? I usually make a butter/flour roux.

[todao]

I soak it in whatever liquid I intend to use in making the sauce. Either a stock, milk, or cream. I also will use milk if the liquid I intend to use for the final sauce is cream; it seems to produce a softer roux.

[gourmanda]

Can you explain how you make a bechamel-type sauce with only eggs? I've never heard of this.

A veloute is a stock-based white sauce.

[ElizabethS]

I am using bechamel loosely! I start with a bechamel then add a lot of cheese to it (we always have lots of leftover chunks of cheese) then I let it cool and temper in 3 beaten eggs.

[todao]

I agree; a veloute is typically a stock-based white sauce. However, a bechamel sauce can also be prepared using stock, or milk, or cream, or a combination thereof. Using a recipe for a rather thin bechamel with ingredients listed as butter or margarine, all-purpose flour, milk, cream, or stock and a bit of S&P, simply eliminate the AP flour and replace it with egg yolks. The ingredients need to be mixed before the mixture reaches 160 degrees (best to start when ingredients are all cold) and the whisk must move continuously but when the reduction is completed properly the result is a rich smooth sauce, sans flour.

[gourmanda]

A proper veloute is always made with stock as a proper bechamel is always made with milk. You can vary the indredients to make veloute-type and bechamel-type sauces but they are not true.

So you start cold butter, egg yolks and milk and heat them til thickened, while whisking? That would be an interesting flavor and approach to try some time.