How to make a roux (2024)

FAQs

What is the ratio for a roux? ›

A roux is a sauce built on a simple ratio of 1 part butter to 1 part flour. You start by melting butter, then add in flour, and cook the mixture over low heat until it's thick and lump-free. At this point, most recipes will instruct you to slowly add a liquid such as broth or milk, and this is where the magic happens.

The key to a good roux is to watch it carefully and whisk it almost constantly (if black specks appear, your roux has burned and you should start over). The cooking time will vary based on your desired color—a white roux takes as little as 2–5 minutes, whereas a dark roux requires 30–45 minutes.

Roux is used in three of the five mother sauces of classic French cooking: béchamel sauce, velouté sauce, and espagnole sauce. Roux may be made with any edible fat. For meat gravies, fat rendered from meat is often used.

Roux is made by cooking equal parts flour and fat together until the raw flavor of the flour cooks out and the roux has achieved the desired color. Butter is the most commonly used fat, but you can also make roux with oil, bacon grease, or other rendered fats.

Not cooking the flour long enough to lose the raw taste is one of the biggest mistakes many people make when making roux. The basic white roux takes about 5 to 6 minutes to complete. Just do not forget to stir. Stirring is the second most often mistake.

There's no right or wrong to which fat you use; it just depends on what flavor you want. In a dairy-heavy sauce, like milky béchamel, butter is the common choice (and is also the more common fat in most French roux), while oil is often preferred in Creole and Cajun cooking.

A roux is made at the beginning of a recipe while a slurry is added toward the end. This is because the flour needs to be cooked longer to remove the floury taste; cornstarch needs a shorter cooking time and a higher heat to activate the thickening properties.

For Each 4 Cups of Liquid:

Medium Sauce: 4 oz roux (2 oz each butter and flour) (57 grams each) Heavy Sauce: 6 oz roux (3 oz each butter and flour) (85 grams each)

In the simplest terms possible, a roux is a mixture of equal parts flour and fat, cooked together over low to medium heat, to create a uniform thickening agent that's deployed in saucy recipes like this extra-creamy Lasagna Bolognese, Chicken-Andouille Gumbo, and béchamel-soaked Croque Monsieur.

For a medium thickness, you'd use 2 tablespoons each of butter and flour to 1 cup milk. For a really thick sauce, you'd use 3 tablespoons each of butter and flour. The roux is actually the base of starch and fat that is cooked for a short time before the liquid is stirred in.

What are the 4 stages of a roux? ›

There are four different types/stages of roux – light, blonde, brown and dark. Each type of roux differs in taste and colour, but they all have the same starting ingredients – butter and flour. What separates a light roux from a dark roux is the amount of cooking time and heat applied.

To make a white roux, heat butter over medium heat in a skillet. Add equal parts of flour to the pan while whisking. Reduce the heat to medium-low as the mixture bubbles, and then slow your whisking. Cook the roux until it becomes fragrant, and then periodically stir while it cooks for about two more minutes.

Roux is a combination of flour and fat that is cooked and used as a base to thicken and flavor sauces. The method for making roux uses 1 part oil or fat to 1 part flour, whisked constantly over heat until it reaches an optimal shade of color—ranging from white to dark brown.