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.