Component of three of the five French "mother sauces"
I believe the answer is:
roux
(Other definitions for roux that I've seen before include "Mixture of fat and flour used as a base for sauces" , "Butter and flour sauce combination" , "Mixture of butter and flour used for sauces" , "Butter/flour mix" , "Mixture of fat and flour used for thickening sauces" .)