Which term describes a base made by cooking fat and flour together to thicken sauces?

Which term describes a base made by cooking fat and flour together to thicken sauces?

• A. Slurry
• B. Béchamel
• C. Roux
• D. Beurre Manié

Answer: (C)

Roux is the base made by cooking fat and flour together to thicken sauces. By heating the fat and flour, you create a smooth paste that thickens liquids evenly and removes the raw flour taste. The color you achieve—white, blonde, or brown—depends on how long you cook it, with each level bringing a different flavor and depth to the sauce. This method differs from a slurry, which is starch mixed with cold liquid and added to a hot sauce to thicken without forming a cooked fat-flour paste. Beurre manié involves kneading flour into softened butter and whisking it in to thicken, usually near the end, rather than forming a base through cooking. Béchamel is a sauce built on a white roux with milk, not the base itself. So the base described is roux.

Roux is the base made by cooking fat and flour together to thicken sauces. By heating the fat and flour, you create a smooth paste that thickens liquids evenly and removes the raw flour taste. The color you achieve—white, blonde, or brown—depends on how long you cook it, with each level bringing a different flavor and depth to the sauce. This method differs from a slurry, which is starch mixed with cold liquid and added to a hot sauce to thicken without forming a cooked fat-flour paste. Beurre manié involves kneading flour into softened butter and whisking it in to thicken, usually near the end, rather than forming a base through cooking. Béchamel is a sauce built on a white roux with milk, not the base itself. So the base described is roux.