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Success with Sauces

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How to make a brilliant béchamel sauce

It starts with a humble roux

But what is a roux?
A roux (pronounced ‘roo’) is a mixture of flour and fat (usually in the form of butter), that is
used in cooking to thicken a sauce, gravy, soup or stew. Although it’s difficult to track exactly
when the roux first sprung into existence, it plays a major role in the formation of what’s
known as the five ‘mother sauces’, as three of them (béchamel, velouté and espagnole) use
roux as a thickener.

How does it work?
When flour combines with heat and a liquid (in this case melted butter), the starch
molecules in the flour absorb a little water from the butter and start to gradually separate
from each other as they expand. Then, when further liquid like milk or stock is added, the

starch molecules are at the perfect consistency to expand further and thicken the sauce.
They are less likely to clump together and form lumps.

Get the ratio just right
Carefully weigh out equal quantities of fat and flour to make the roux. It’s best to use all-

purpose flour because of its high starch content and real butter rather than margarine.
Remember to allow the butter to completely melt before adding the flour, taking care not to
let it burn.

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