How do you get that rich, glossy consistency in stews without them turning gluey or pasty?

It is a question I hear a lot here in Canada once stew season starts, and the flour tin is usually where it goes wrong.

The gloss comes from gelatin and reduction, not from flour. Simmer the stew uncovered and let the liquid reduce until it coats the back of a spoon. That coating is the consistency you are after.

Flour added at the end never cooks in properly, so it just stays pasty and gluey instead of glossy.

Finish off the heat with cold butter stirred in at the end. It melts into the reduced liquid and gives you that rich, glossy finish.

Asked on r/AskCulinary

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