Roux Proportions in Sauces:
Sauce, Butter, Flour, Roux, Liquid
Thin or light 6 oz/190 g, 6 oz/190 g, 12 oz/375 g, 1 gal/4 L
Medium 8 oz/250 g, 8 oz/250 g, 1 lb/500 g, 1 gal/4 L
Thick or heavy 12 oz/375 g, 12 oz/375 g, 11⁄2 lb/750, g 1 gal/4 L
-White roux is cooked for just a few minutes, just enough to cook out the raw taste.
Cooking is stopped as soon as the roux has a frothy, chalky, slightly gritty appearance,
before it has begun to color. White roux is used for béchamel and other white sauces
based on milk. In spite of its name, white roux is actually a pale yellow because it is
made from butter and (usually) unbleached flour. Figure 8.8 illustrates the production
of white roux.
-Blond roux, or pale roux, is cooked a little longer, just until the roux begins to change to
a slightly darker color. Cooking must then be stopped. Blond roux is used for veloutés,
or sauces based on white stocks. The sauces have a pale ivory color.
-Brown roux is cooked until it takes on a light brown color and a nutty aroma. Cooking
must take place over low heat so the roux browns evenly without scorching. For a deeper
brown roux, the flour may be browned in an oven before adding it to the fat. A heavily
browned roux has only about one-third the thickening power of white roux, but it
contributes flavor and color to brown sauces.
-Note: After adding the Demi Glace to the Roux, simmer the sauce stirring from time to time until all the starchy taste of the flour is
cooked out.
This takes at least 10 minutes, but the flavor and consistency of the sauce improve if it is cooked longer.
Many chefs feel 20 minutes of simmering is a bare minimum. Others cook some sauces for an hour or longer.
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