of milk and flour proteins that forms at the surface Starch is more effective at thickening milk than it is meat stocks, apparently because it bonds both to the milk proteins and the fat globules and so recruits these weighty ingredients into its flow-slowing network Thanks to its pleasant but neutral flavor, béchamel is a versatile sauce that can be imbued with many flavors and served with many mainingredients It’s also made in several thicknesses for a variety of purposes Thick preparations (6% flour by weight) serve as the base for soufflés, somewhat thinner ones as a moistening and enrichment for gratins In the “boiled dressing” often used in the United States to moisten coleslaw and other robust salads, flour not only thickens the milk and/or cream, but also helps prevent the vinegar from curdling the milk and egg-yolk proteins into coarse particles Gravy Gravy We come now to the homely Anglo-American cousin of French sauces, the starch-thickened gravy typically made to accompany a roast This is a last-minute sauce that’s put together just before serving, and consists of the roast’s juices, extended with additional liquid, and thickened with flour The drippings from the roast, both fat and browned solids, give the gravy its flavor and color First the fat is poured off and reserved, and the pan is “deglazed”: the browned solids are lifted from the roasting pan with a small amount of water, wine, beer, or stock The liquid dissolves the browning-reaction products that have stuck to the pan and so takes up their especially rich flavors The deglazing liquid is poured off and reserved separately Now some of the fat is returned to the pan with an equal volume of flour, and the flour cooked until it has lost its raw aroma The deglazing liquid is added, around a cup/250 ml for every 1–2 ... browning-reaction products that have stuck to the pan and so takes up their especially rich flavors The deglazing liquid is poured off and reserved separately Now some of the fat is returned to the pan with an equal volume of flour, and the flour cooked until it has lost its... poured off and reserved, and the pan is “deglazed”: the browned solids are lifted from the roasting pan with a small amount of water, wine, beer, or stock The liquid dissolves the browning-reaction products that have stuck to... just before serving, and consists of the roast’s juices, extended with additional liquid, and thickened with flour The drippings from the roast, both fat and browned solids, give the gravy its flavor and color First the fat is