how do you make your roux?

[duckman1911]

Great thread keakar. Got a lot of new ideas for roux because of it. If there are smilimg faces and empty bowls you did it right no matter how you did it.
Remind me to never get in a gumbo cook off with Ragin Cajun or SigNate. I don't like a voluntary azz whoopin.
Dem boys got skills

[Gerald]

Roux


A Roux is just oil and flour cooked until brown. Now doesn’t that sound easy!

Making a Roux is not hard and does not have to take very long after you get the feel of how to “brown” the flour without burning it. Small portions can be frozen for later use.

To Make a Roux (Small batch)

Remember ....... While cooking the Roux, you have to almost continuously stir it to prevent burning the flour. Be sure to scrape the bottom of the skillet to completely mix the Roux.

• Add 1/8 cup Vegetable oil to skillet.........this can be either an iron or non-stick skillet.
• Turn on high heat and sprinkle in about 1/8 cup flour.
• Mix the flour and oil using a wooden spoon or spatula, as the mixture heats up. Add more flour until the mixture is fairly thick.
• When the skillet is fairly hot, turn fire down to medium heat.

Continually stir the mixture while it cooks. The cooking time should be 15 to 30 minutes and depends on how hot the burner is set. If there is no browning after 5 minutes, turn the burner up a little. If the mixture starts to turn brown too fast, remove skillet from burner for a couple of minutes to slow down the cooking but keep stirring it. Lower the burner temperature a little and then continue to cook the Roux.

Learning how to cook the Roux takes some experience. Too hot a fire and it can burn........Too low of a fire and the mixture will take 10+ minutes to just start turning brown.
If the Roux starts turning brown fast (less than 5 minutes) the fire is too hot, remove from fire, keep stirring and allow it to cool.

Once the Roux gets to the desired color (somewhere between light brown and dark brown) turn the burner off and quickly cool it or the Roux will continue to cook. The Roux is very, very hot.

Cooling can be done by slowly spooning the Roux into your cooking pot (Gumbo, Jambalaya, etc.) and mixing with the liquid.

Or.........slowly adding water to the Roux and mixing.
Or.........I often add chopped onions, to sauté them a little first and then add water to cool down.

Smell Test

If you have any doubt that you may have burned the Roux...smell it....... If it smells bunt......better to start over than to use it and ruined your food.

Uses for Roux

A Roux is used to boast the flavor of and expand various recipes. A Roux can be added to any of the following:

Gumbo Soup Bisque Stew
Jambalaya Sauce piquaute Pot roast Gravy
Creole Fricassee

[Douglas Gilbert]

.
TRADITIONAL
CAJUN & CREOLE ROUX
Ingredients:
Flour (white or wheat)
Oil or Butter (optional)
Water (optional)
Seafood Stock (optional)
My grandmother claims that the
secret to a good roux is to stir and
stir and stir until you’re almost wore out.
Roux is the foundation for many Louisiana dishes, such as gumbo,
ettouffees, sauce piquantes, and more. Many authentic Cajun &
Creole dishes require a roux, otherwise known as a Cajun gravy
that gives the recipe rich flavor. Roux is a mixture of flour and oil.
The proportion is roughly 1 to 1 portions. There are levels such as
light, which Cajuns call "blond", medium "peanut butter" colored,
and dark roux. Some
Creole cooks prefer a
blond or medium
roux, and many
Cajun cooks prefer a
very dark smoky flavor
roux.
To make a LOWFAT,
healthier roux, do not
use oil or butter as
the traditional roux
called for. You can
brown your flour in
the skillet without
oil. Just stir it continuously
until the flour
is the brown color
that you want. It can
be dark or light
brown. The darker,
the more flavor. You
can also brown the
flour in the oven or
the microwave. I
remember my great
grandmother standing
at the stove stirring
for what seemed
like hours. I know it wasn’t really hours, but it was long enough to
make my stomach begin to growl. To make the gravy, add a little
water or seafood stock with the onions. Stir and add more until the
gravy is the consistency that you need it to be.

Now your roux is ready to use in a Cajun recipe that requires it or
you can just pour a roux over rice or biscuits or french bread.
NOTE: In a separate skillet while the flour is browning, you can
brown onions in a little olive oil or broth until they are wilted to add
to the gravy for more flavor. ANOTHER NOTE: You can store
browned flour in jars until you need it to make it roux for future
dishes.

[mr crab]

Originally Posted by duckman1911

Great thread keakar. Got a lot of new ideas for roux because of it. If there are smilimg faces and empty bowls you did it right no matter how you did it.
Remind me to never get in a gumbo cook off with Ragin Cajun or SigNate. I don't like a voluntary azz whoopin.
Dem boys got skills

I ain't skerred. I think a cook-off/hang-out/fish/hunt weekend would be a hoot. Renting those big cabins is very cheap per person if you get one that sleeps 10+. One thing is for sure tho, BlueChip is the jambalaya MASTER

[duckman1911]

Originally Posted by mr crab

I ain't skerred. I think a cook-off/hang-out/fish/hunt weekend would be a hoot. Renting those big cabins is very cheap per person if you get one that sleeps 10+. One thing is for sure tho, BlueChip is the jambalaya MASTER

That would make a great fund raiser for little angels or something like that. I used to compete in a gumbo cookoff for the red cross. Hmmmm. We sold the gumbo after it was judged. Good reason to hang out and visit with everone too.

[Bluechip]

Originally Posted by mr crab

I ain't skerred. I think a cook-off/hang-out/fish/hunt weekend would be a hoot. Renting those big cabins is very cheap per person if you get one that sleeps 10+. One thing is for sure tho, BlueChip is the jambalaya MASTER

Thanks lol..... Wish I had a big bowl of it right now.

I have enjoyed this thread. Read several different methods I want to try. This thread has been more informative than a cookbook. Thanks for the responses.

[duckman1911]

Originally Posted by Bluechip

Thanks lol..... Wish I had a big bowl of it right now.

I have enjoyed this thread. Read several different methods I want to try. This thread has been more informative than a cookbook. Thanks for the responses.

Never had your jambalaya but between the pics and the testimonies I'll have to agree on the master part.
This forum has been really active this week and I like that. Everytime I look it's 10+ people viewing. New ideas are rolling in.
It's the time of year that we all start wanting hot roux and a warm fire.
A safe and good hunting season guys. Plenty of roux gona be made these next few months.

[swglenn]

Gerald, my wife uses the microwave also. So simple and easy. She will also boil the chicken or sausage to separate out the oil before it goes in the gumbo. We have found the excess oil can upset some people's stomach.

[keakar]

Originally Posted by Bluechip

Thanks lol..... Wish I had a big bowl of it right now.

I have enjoyed this thread. Read several different methods I want to try. This thread has been more informative than a cookbook. Thanks for the responses.

im not one to usually ask for stuff but ....

since this thread has been received so well by the membership and the cooking forum is even called the roux, perhaps this thread is something worth a sticky so even when it gets old the new members will be able to look it over and get some great roux ideas as well as add anything new they might know

[duckman1911]

Originally Posted by keakar

im not one to usually ask for stuff but ....

since this thread has been received so well by the membership and the cooking forum is even called the roux, perhaps this thread is something worth a sticky so even when it gets old the new members will be able to look it over and get some great roux ideas as well as add anything new they might know

X2... It was this thread that caused the crazy idea of an SC gumbo throw down. Great, fun, and informative thread.

[Bluechip]

Originally Posted by keakar

im not one to usually ask for stuff but ....

since this thread has been received so well by the membership and the cooking forum is even called the roux, perhaps this thread is something worth a sticky so even when it gets old the new members will be able to look it over and get some great roux ideas as well as add anything new they might know

I can do that. May be a few hours before I'm at a computer.

[keakar]

Originally Posted by duckman1911

Great thread keakar.

thanks, I was hoping for this to be a very educational thread and it is

I figure no one is ever too old to learn something new or different

im sure there will be more educational secrets to come as well as others join in

the simplest and easiest things are often the easiest to screw up and have the widest variation in how different people do it just like some people leave the smoke sausage slices whole while others cut them in half, at my house they go trawling in the pot for meat so I cut them in half moons so they get less when they fill up the scoop but they still get a bowl full of meat

[duckman1911]

Originally Posted by keakar

thanks, I was hoping for this to be a very educational thread and it is

I figure no one is ever too old to learn something new or different

im sure there will be more educational secrets to come as well as others join in

the simplest and easiest things are often the easiest to screw up and have the widest variation in how different people do it just like some people leave the smoke sausage slices whole while others cut them in half, at my house they go trawling in the pot for meat so I cut them in half moons so they get less when they fill up the scoop but they still get a bowl full of meat

I have learned several new ideas from this thread.
Sig gota bust up in here with a rendered duck fat roux and make us all look like roux virgins.lol.
That dude is a beast.
Can't wait till it's time to bust some squirrels and make a roux over a fire for squirrel and tomatoe gravy