Roux

So begins August escoffier’s article on Roux in his monumental Guide culinaire; almost an entire page is devoted to roux brun, though only short paragraphs deal with the preparation of the roux blond and blanc. Etymologically, and historically, all this makes perfect sense. Roux in French literally means ‘reddish’ (or ‘orange’) hence the first roux must have been brun. These early roux were made by cooking flour and butter together until a reddish tint was obtained then using this to thicken a sauce or broth. Its widespread use in French cooking seems to date from the mid-17th century. At that time, la Varenne (1651) described the preparation of a liaison de farine (flour thickener) made by cooking flour in lard and, by the end of the century, cooks are referring to this mixture as either farine frit or roux.