Types of Roux

What Is Roux?

Roux is a cooked mixture of fat and flour used to thicken sauces, soups and other preparations. It is commonly made with butter, but oil or another suitable fat may be used. The colour and flavour depend on how long the roux is cooked. As the roux darkens, its flavour becomes more pronounced but its starch-thickening power decreases.

White Roux

White roux is cooked briefly, just long enough to remove the raw flour taste while keeping the mixture pale. It has the greatest thickening power of the three classical roux colours and is used in Béchamel, cream soups and other pale preparations.

Blond Roux

Blond roux is cooked longer than white roux until it develops a light golden colour and a slightly toasted aroma. It is commonly used for velouté and other light stock-based sauces where a little more flavour and colour are desired.

Brown Roux

Brown roux is cooked until it develops a deeper brown colour and a nutty aroma. It is used in brown sauces, stews and some Cajun and Creole preparations such as gumbo. Because prolonged cooking reduces the roux’s thickening power, a larger quantity may be required compared with white roux.

Choosing the Right Roux

Choose the roux colour according to the flavour, colour and consistency required by the dish. White roux is suitable for pale sauces, blond roux for light stock-based sauces and brown roux for preparations that benefit from a deeper toasted flavour. Avoid burning the flour; a burnt roux will taste bitter and cannot be corrected by adding more liquid.

Chef’s tip: Stir continuously and control the heat. The darker the roux becomes, the more closely it must be watched to prevent scorching.