Advertisement
Flour is used as a binder in roux, beurre maniés, and as a dry ingredient to singer.
A roux is made by cooking together flour and fat, usually butter, usually equal portions by weight. The fat is first melted and then the sifted flour is stirred into it and heated until the flour loses its raw taste and the mixture thickens. The cooking time is dependent on the color desired for the final product: a roux blanc (white roux) is cooked for the shortest period of time, about 3 to 5 minutes, and will yield a pale sauce; roux blond (light roux) is cooked somewhat longer, about 6 to 7 minutes, and will produce a golden sauce; and roux brun (brown roux) is cooked until the mixture has taken on a rich brown color, about 8 to 12 minutes, so that the resulting sauce is also deeply colored.