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Roux

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daniel77 View Drop Down
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Joined: 17 February 2010
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote daniel77 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: Roux
    Posted: 17 February 2010 at 06:54
The roux is the basis for many of the cajun dishes that I will post, so rather than rewrite about it, I thought I'd go into detail about it once. Sorry, no pics, but I will post up a good Youtube video on it.

To make a roux, you are basically just browning flour in oil. Roux is used as a thickening agent in many of our dishes. It helps the dish go a bit further, and stick to your ribs. The type of oil you use is up to you, but I would use something of decent quality and consistency. Same goes for the flour. Those worried about the added fat from the oil can relax. After the dish is complete and simmering, it is very easy to skim the excess fat off of the top of the pot with a spoon. You will need at least a 10" skillet or pot to have enough surface area exposed to the heat to pull this off. A large whisk is also helpful, though this process has been done countless times with nothing more than a wooden spoon.

You will need approximately equal parts of flour and oil. I generally use about 3/4 the amount of oil as flour, but equal parts will make your first few easier. For reference, using 1 cup of flour and oil will make a bunch of roux. For just my family, I'll use 1/2 cup of each for a gumbo that will yield leftovers. You can however make roux ahead of time and freeze it. You'll never know the difference. There are also several commercially made "jar roux" products, but this is too simple to not do yourself.

You will want a med/hi temp. I've heard people talk about taking 30 minute to make a roux and using a low heat, but they are wrong. Use a med/hi flame, and your roux will be done in 5-8 minutes. If you are going to continue cooking with the roux, I generally have my onions/peppers/celery already chopped and toss them in to "stop" the roux from over cooking. It is important to have everything ready, because once you start the roux DO NOT STOP STIRRING IT even for a few seconds. If you stop stirring it, you will get burned particles in the roux that look like little black flecks. If you see those, it is ruined and you get to start over. If you are making extra roux to store, have a container ready to pour it in, as roux finishes quickly and will need to be removed from the heat pretty much all at once. I will say this again, you will feel like you are stirring the roux to no effect and suddenly it will start to brown. The browning happens rather quickly, so be prepared. If it goes too far, the roux is ruined. A finished roux should be somewhere between peanut butter and chocolate in color. I like mine right in the middle. Too light tastes like flour, and too dark tastes burnt. Many people, however, prefer a very dark roux. A textbook roux is also a liquid, though once you get the hand of them and can decrease the oil, the roux will get grainier near the end and finish as more of a soupy paste than a liquid. Neither way is wrong, I just prefer to have less oil to collect later on.

Begin by heating your oil up in the pot.  You can toss a pinch of flour in and if it begins to sizzle immediately, the oil is ready to add the flour. You can also wait till the oil smokes, but you'd better be ready for a race if you go that route. Add your flour slowly and stir constantly. It is very important that you NEVER stop stirring, or you WILL burn the roux. As I said earlier, using a whisk to stir is the easiest way, but a long handled spoon works just fine. Make sure you are getting every last bit of the bottom of the pot while you stir. Nothing much will appear to happen for a while. As I said before, the roux doesn't change until the very end, so that last minute or so is critical. Don't be afraid to play with your stoves heat setting during this process. It will work if you go slowly, but there is no reason to take more than 10 minutes to do this, and I'll bet that taking longer will tend to make a person bored and lead to burning it anyway.

Once the roux has achieved your desired color most people remove it to cool immediately. Many even put it in the refrigerator. No matter what course you choose, stopping the roux from browning further is critical. Conventional wisdom is to always add a cold roux to a hot dish/pot/water to make it blend in easier. I have not found that using a hot roux strait into a hot dish/pot/water is much of an inconvenience. If you persevered to stir the roux as much as you should have, stirring the pot to get it to blend will be a non issue. I usually am making a roux for gumbo and simply add my onions/pepper/celery to start browning. The veggies will absorb the heat, brown pretty quickly, and stop the roux from burning. I then add hot water to fill the pot half way or so and go on about life.
Good luck, and more recipes will follow
If what you're serving comes on a cracker, you'd better have a lot of it.
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daniel77 View Drop Down
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Joined: 17 February 2010
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote daniel77 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 February 2010 at 06:57
here's link to Chef Paul making one. Most people can't pull off making one this quickly.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Np3uGcdQNUw
If what you're serving comes on a cracker, you'd better have a lot of it.
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TasunkaWitko View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote TasunkaWitko Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 February 2010 at 07:08
outstanding information - thanks for posting!
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Hoser View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Hoser Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 February 2010 at 13:29
excellent post...I've made a lot of roux, and you hit the nail on the head my friend.
Go ahead...play with your food!
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