tablespoons/10–20 gm flour The mixture is cooked until it thickens, a matter of a few minutes Escoffier on Future Roux Though he was a traditionalist in many ways, Escoffier openly looked forward to the day when pure starch would replace flour as the thickener in stock-based sauces Indeed, if [starch] is absolutely necessary to give the mellowness and velvetiness to the sauce, it is much simpler to give it pure, which permits one to bring it to the point in as little time as possible, and to avoid a too prolonged sojourn on the fire It is therefore infinitely probable that before long starch, fecula, or arrowroot obtained in a state of absolute purity will replace flour in the roux Today’s proponents of the classic sauces, however, generally remain loyal to flour Because they’re made at the last minute, gravies are not cooked long enough to cause the disintegration of the starch granules, and therefore generally have a slightly coarse texture, even when lump-free This gives gravies a character very different from that of the suave sauce: hearty, and when they are extremely thick, almost bready The cook can obtain a smoother consistency by making an initial preparation from the flour and a fraction of the deglazing liquid, heating the mixture until the starch granules gelate and crowd up against each other to form a thick paste, and whisking the paste vigorously to smash the granules into each other and break them up into finer pieces This paste is then mixed with the rest of the deglazing liquid and simmered until it’s evenly dispersed and the liquid reaches the desired consistency Sauces Thickened with Plant Particles: Purees ... gravies a character very different from that of the suave sauce: hearty, and when they are extremely thick, almost bready The cook can obtain a smoother consistency by making an initial preparation from the flour and a fraction of the deglazing liquid, heating the. .. fraction of the deglazing liquid, heating the mixture until the starch granules gelate and crowd up against each other to form a thick paste, and whisking the paste vigorously to smash the granules into each other and break them up into finer pieces...however, generally remain loyal to flour Because they’re made at the last minute, gravies are not cooked long enough to cause the disintegration of the starch granules, and therefore generally have a slightly coarse