over the large surface area of the meat pieces,
and it has been precoated with the sautéing
fat, which prevents clumping when the liquid
is added.
Roux The fourth method for getting starch
into a sauce, and one that has been developed
into a minor art of its own, is to preheat the
starch separately in fat to make what the
French call a roux, from the word for “red.”
The basic principle works with any form of
starch and any fat or oil. In the traditional
French system, the cook carefully heats equal
weights of flour and butter in a pan to one of
three consecutive endpoints: the mixture has
had the moisture cooked out of it, but the
flour remains white; the flour develops a light
yellow color; or the flour develops a distinctly
brown color.
Improvements in Flavor, Color, and
Dispersability In addition to coating the flour
particles with fat and making them easier to