Panade

Panade is a starch-based mixture used in forcemeats and other preparations to bind ingredients and help retain moisture. It may be made from bread soaked in milk or water, cooked flour, rice, potato or another starch, depending on the recipe. Panade is commonly used in meatballs, meatloaf, sausages and quenelles.

What panade does

Starch absorbs liquid and helps hold moisture within the mixture during cooking. In a forcemeat, panade can create a more tender, less dense texture and help reduce excessive shrinkage. It is not simply a filler: the type and quantity influence the final structure.

Common types

• Bread panade: bread soaked in milk or water, often squeezed or processed before incorporation.
• Flour panade: flour cooked with liquid or fat to form a paste, used in some classical preparations.
• Potato or rice panade: cooked starch used in selected regional or recipe-specific mixtures.

Examples

A bread-and-milk panade can help keep meatballs and meatloaf tender. A cooked flour panade may be used in certain fish quenelles or forcemeats to create a smooth, cohesive texture.

Chef’s tip: Match the panade to the recipe and incorporate it evenly without overworking the meat. Too much panade can make a forcemeat pasty or dilute its flavour.

Key distinction: Panade is a prepared starch-and-liquid binder. It differs from breadcrumbs added dry as a coating or from a simple thickening slurry added to a finished sauce.