What is the roux process?

• A. Emulsifying sauces
• B. Fermenting dough
• C. Mixing fat and flour; thickens sauces and soups
• D. Cooling soups

Answer: (C)

Roux is a fat-and-flour mixture cooked together to thicken sauces and soups. By whisking flour into melted fat (such as butter or oil) and cooking it for a short time, you remove the raw flour taste and create a starch-based base. When hot liquid is gradually whisked in, the starch granules swell and the mixture thickens the sauce or soup smoothly. The color of roux can vary—from white to blond to brown—depending on how long you cook it, which also builds different flavors. A typical ratio is equal parts fat and flour by weight, and you whisk in liquid gradually to keep the sauce lump-free. Roux serves as the foundation for many sauces (like béchamel and velouté) and their derivatives, rather than being an emulsion or a dough-related process, and it isn’t something you use to cool soups.