Flour

In Western cooking, flour has long been the most popular sauce thickener. Although flour has largely been replaced in recent years by other thickeners, it is still the appropriate choice for many country-style and regional dishes. Chefs are also learning to use flour in limited amounts in conjunction with other thickeners.

One precaution to take when using flour for sauce making is to always make sure that liquids to be thickened have been thoroughly degreased before the flour is incorporated. Flour binds with fat and holds it in suspension throughout the liquid, making it difficult to skim. The result is a greasy, indigestible sauce with a muddy texture and flavor. One trick is to whisk in Wondra flour, which has been pretreated so it dissolves straight into a liquid without a preliminary cooking with butter. It should, however, be stirred with water to make a slurry before it is whisked into the jus or other liquid.