Description
Find out everything you need to know about how to make a roux, what it’s used for and how much to make. Plus a few extra bonus tips!
The default recipe makes enough to thicken around 500ml/2 cups of liquid when using a white or blonde roux.
Ingredients
Scale
- 25g / 0.9oz butter (see note 1)
- 25g / 0.9oz flour (see note 2)
Instructions
- Heat the butter over medium heat in a saucepan or frying pan.
- When the butter is melted whisk in the flour until fully combined. It should take the form of a thick doughy paste.
- Now to cook the roux. The time required is based on the type of roux you need.
- For a white roux cook only for 2-3 more minutes to remove the raw flour taste. You’ll know it’s nearly done when it starts to smell a little nutty.
- For a blonde roux cook for 6-10 minutes, until the mixture has turned a light brown/blonde colour.
- Cook a brown roux for around 30 minutes, until a rich nutty brown shade (a little darker than peanut butter).
- Finally, for a dark roux cook for around 40 minutes, until the mixture has turned really dark brown.
Notes
- You can use other forms of fat as an alternative to butter. Try clarified butter, oil or fat rendered from meat.
- In most cases, plain/all-purpose flour is used in a roux. Since different flours have different thickening abilities it is better to play it safe and use plain in most cases.
- The longer the roux is cooked the less effective it will be for thickening sauces. Therefore make a larger quantity. A brown roux has roughly 30% less thickening power, so you will need 30% more.
- You can make roux in advance. Store in a sterilised airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 months, or in the fridge for up to a year. If freezing you can portion it using an ice cube tray or freeze small blobs of it on a plate and then transfer to a freezer bag.
- Prep Time: 2 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Category: Sauce
- Method: Hob / Stove
- Cuisine: French
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 68
- Fat: 5g
- Carbohydrates: 5g
- Protein: 0.5g
Keywords: roux, thicken sauces, thicken soup, thicken gravy, butter, flour, fat, classic