How to Make a Roux and Ways to Use It

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4

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Updated on

May 16, 2024

The short answer

A roux is a cooking preparation of fat and flour cooked over low heat. It is used to thicken sauces, and the longer you cook it, the nuttier it tastes. It’s a great tool for any cook. Ready to learn how to make one? Let’s get started. 🧑‍🍳

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4 spoons each contain a different roux: a white, blond, brown or dark roux used for thickening sauces.

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How to Make a Roux?

Roux is used as a thickening agent to create a wonderful texture for sauces and soups, the kind that coats a spoon nicely, isn’t runny, and is delightful on its own.

To make a roux, you need only two ingredients in equal quantities:

Then, simply heat the oil first, add the flour, and whisk it on low heat. The cooking times depend on the type of roux you want. ⬇️

The Different Types of Roux

There are four shades of roux, each used for different purposes. From white to dark brown, cooking a roux longer creates a nuttier flavor but gradually reduce its thickening power.

The White Roux

Cooked for just a few minutes to remove the flour flavor, a white roux thickens any sauce, without adding any flavor. The béchamel and the velouté, two of the French mother sauces, are great examples of using a white roux.

A white roux cooked just a few minutes to remove the flour taste

The blond Roux

When cooked a bit longer, the roux turns blond and develops a slightly nutty flavor. It's still effective for thickening but is especially good in soups and sauces. A bit less thickening, I use it to make my warm and cozy winter potato soup.

A blond roux cooked in a pot. It has a really golden texture

The brown roux

A roux cooked around 6 to 8 minutes will turn brown and have a stronger nutty flavor with a lesser thickening property. It is also used in another French mother sauce: La sauce Espagnole (don’t reproduce it at home, it’s not plant-based 😅)

A brown roux cooked in a pot with nutty flavors

The dark brown roux

If you cook your roux for 30 to 45 minutes, it becomes a dark brown roux. Extremely flavourful, it is used in specific cuisines like creole.

3 alternatives to roux

Roux is excellent for thickening, but there are other ways if it’s not what you need. You can switch it up with options like cashew cream, just using your pasta water or even the lesser-known xanthan gum.

Cashew Cream

Cashew Cream is a staple in vegan cooking. It adds creaminess to a dish where a roux would only thicken. It’s a great replacement option. I use it regularly in my creamy mushroom risotto.

Starch

Some recipes don't require extra ingredients to make great sauces, and pasta is the perfect example. As it cooks, pasta releases starch into the boiling water. Once the pasta is cooked, transfer it along with a spoonful of its starchy water to your sauce and stir well. This technique coats the pasta evenly, creating a wonderful texture.

It works wonderfully with gnocchi; I use it every single time in my Gnocchi and Asparagus Recipe.

Xanthan Gum

Xanthan Gum is a safe food additive used to thicken sauces. It is commonly used in the food industry but less common in our kitchen.

Roux is great but requires a high volume of it in your sauce to thicken it. Where a roux might cast a shadow over the flavors of the dish, Xanthan gum will let the other flavors shine brightly!

Of course, this solution might not be as common in home kitchens, but it's quite accessible. I want all the food geeks reading this to be in the know! 🤓

Final Note

Now you know everything about the 4 shades of Roux. Anytime you read a recipe with the steps “Add oil or butter to a pot, then add flour”, you can proudly say: “It’s a ROUX”!

The Recipe

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