What are the three degrees to which a roux sauce can be cooked?

room temperature

Your roux will start bubbling as the temperature hits 212° F and all the water boils out of your flour...actually, you should have already had the oil up to about 350° F before you stir in the flour. Keep stirring, the roux will go from mud brown to brick red. Stir, Stir, Stir! If you go past brick red, the roux is burnt and you need to dump it and re-start.

Be ready to quench the roux as soon as you see any red. Kill the heat and dump in the vegetables.

3 degrees? Sounds sort of goofy to me...

1. Take the oil to around 350° F;
2. Stir in the flour;
3. Quench at Brick Red.