
As the proteins in the flour are heated, they expand and disperse evenly throughout the liquid that they are mixed with. It is simply flour cooked in fat, such as butter.

What Is a Roux?Ī roux is paste that is used as a thickener. So let's start with the basics steps to make a roux. It can be intimidating due to the ease with which it can be burned-and ruined-but it's nothing that a little practice can't resolve. From a smooth, creamy béchamel for pot pies and macaroni and cheese-not to mention your Thanksgiving gravy-a roux is a technique to master and to love. A roux is a simple two-ingredient mixture that can thicken sauces and stews. Knowing how to make a roux should be at the top of this list. Roux-based recipes to try 1.There are certain things that become a part of a home cook's arsenal: a good roast chicken, some killer scrambled eggs, a perfect apple pie.

The white sauce and its derivatives are the most common ways of using a roux, but you can also use stock instead of milk for the base to a pie filling, or make a flavoured sauce called a velouté, which is normally enriched with cream. Self-raising flour has raising agent in and will leave your finished sauce with a slight taste of bicarb. Try using the butter-flavoured ones rather than ones made with coconut oil.įlour: always use plain white flour. You’re only making a base, and you can add seasoning later on in the method.ĭairy-free spread: if you're making a sauce that needs to be vegan or dairy free, you can easily make a roux with a dairy-free butter alternative. Flour and fatsīutter: use an unsalted full-fat butter.

Cooking it until it has a rich, caramel colour will give your sauce a slightly nuttier flavour. You can then choose to add your liquids to create a sauce or even continue cooking the roux. Once you've combined the flour and melted butter, the roux needs to be cooked for at least 2 minutes to cook out the raw flour.
