Wayne Gisslen

Proportions of Roux to Liquid

Appears in
Professional Cooking: 10th Edition
Professional Cooking

By Wayne Gisslen

Published 2025

  • About

Table 9.1 indicates the quantities of roux needed to thicken 1 gallon (3.8 L) liquid to thin, medium, and thick consistencies.

How thick is a thick sauce? Obviously, these are not precise, scientific terms that can be defined easily. Experience can be the only teacher in this case. This is another good reason to practice with roux and water—so you can, with experience, produce the exact consistency you want.

You also have available the techniques of dilution and reduction to adjust the consistency of a sauce, and you will learn how to use beurre manié and other thickening agents.