{"id":23,"date":"2008-06-12T09:26:05","date_gmt":"2008-06-12T13:26:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/cajunchefryan.rymocs.com\/blog2\/2008\/06\/12\/roux\/"},"modified":"2008-06-12T09:27:41","modified_gmt":"2008-06-12T13:27:41","slug":"roux","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/cajunchefryan.rymocs.com\/blog2\/recipes\/roux\/","title":{"rendered":"Roux"},"content":{"rendered":"

Roux <\/em><\/strong>(pronounced somewhat like the English word “rue”)\u00a0 is a mixture of flour and fat which is typically butter, margarine, or vegetable oil and is used as a thickening agent in sauces, stews, gravies,\u00a0soups, and\u00a0other culinary preparations. In some cases the fat used in making a roux can be in the form of lard or bacon fat.\u00a0 There are also some non-fat non-traditional versions where a roux is made from browning flour in the oven. This form of roux omits the fat, but also lacks in flavor and thickening power. Roux is another one of those basic preparations that is required for many Cajun dishes such as gumbos, etouffees, sauce piquant, and other thickened soups too.<\/p>\n

The classic roux has it’s origins in French cuisine and can range from a very light roux which is cooked for a short period of time to a very dark roux which is cooked for a very long time period. Two things happen to a roux as it continues to cook on the stove top; 1. the intensity of the flavor increases and strengthens, and 2. the thickening power decreases. For preparations where thickening is more of a requirement than flavor then a lighter roux is utilized, and for preparations where flavor and color is more important a darker roux is required. The varying stages of roux\u00a0can be described as starting with the least cooked\u00a0light roux, and then moving to the medium-light roux, medium roux, medium dark roux, dark roux, and very dark roux. To recap, the longer a roux cooks the darker it gets\u00a0with a\u00a0stronger flavor profile and the thickening power is reduced. In classic French preparations a roux is the basis preparation for velout\u00e9, b\u00e9chamel, and espagnole sauce preparations.<\/p>\n

I found a very nice progression of roux images on Flikr by plakidas<\/font><\/strong><\/a>\u00a0who demonstrated making a gumbo<\/a>\u00a0in the photostream.<\/p>\n

Ingredients and proportions<\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>\n

A typical roux consists of 1 part flour to 1 part fat either by weight or volume, for example, 1 cup flour and 1 cup butter. However on occasion I find myself adding a bit more flour than fat, but this still is a good starting point for making any roux.<\/p>\n

Preparation<\/strong><\/p>\n

Start with heating the fat in a large sauce pan or in a large cast iron skillet as the Cajun traditional method and put it over a medium high heat on the stove top. Once the fat is hot gradually incorporate the flour and use a wire whip to\u00a0get it into the fat. Once the flour is dissolved and smoothed into the fat switch to a wooden spoon and stir constantly to keep the roux from burning. As you cook the roux longer it will get darker and you will smell a nutty aroma the darker it gets. Making a very dark roux can take up to 30-45 minutes to make depending on the amount you have and how dark you want it, stirring constantly requires patience, attention to detail and switching arms often. Ambidexterity comes in handy with a dark roux.<\/p>\n

Notes<\/strong><\/p>\n