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What is a Roux?

A Kaminsky
A Kaminsky

With cooking shows featuring wide ranges of cuisine, many people have learned about roux. "Roux" is the French word for "brown," and describes its color. It is a base for gravies, soups, etouffee, gumbo and many other Cajun and French dishes. It serves as a thickener, binder and flavoring. Cajun cooking wouldn't taste right without the roux.

Any cook who has made gravy from pan drippings, flour and milk has made a sort of roux. The principles are very similar. With a roux, however, only flour and fat are used. Strange as it sounds, this combination actually does work.

The first rule of making one is patience. A roux can take a while — as long as an hour — to reach the desired stage of brown and not burned. Thus, the cook should have time to kill, and substitute arms for the constant stirring needed.

Roux is used as a base for gumbo.
Roux is used as a base for gumbo.

The second rule is to have a heavy pot and a wooden spoon. The pot can be a Dutch oven, deep iron skillet, or any pot that is heavy, conducts heat well and doesn't have any hot spots. A wooden spoon will not impart a metallic flavor, and so is ideal.

A basic roux can be started with 1 cup (120 g) of flour and 1 cup (240 mL) of vegetable oil. Pour the oil into the pot and heat. When the oil is just shy of smoking point, add the flour in gradually, stirring constantly. A whisk can be used to incorporate the flour into the oil. When the mixture is smooth, reduce the heat to medium and start stirring. Stir the mixture from the outside in and vice versa, to ensure even heating and browning.

A roux serves as the base for many cream-based pasta sauces.
A roux serves as the base for many cream-based pasta sauces.

The mixture will be pale at first, but as the flour browns, the roux will gradually turn the color of peanut butter. This is a light roux. When the mixture darkens to light brown, a medium roux is in the pot. When the mixture starts looking like glossy chocolate syrup, it has become a dark roux. When the mixture is done, the cook has two options: start adding cooking ingredients such as celery and onion, or take it completely off the heat. When adding celery and onion in particular, stand back from the pot. These wet vegetables will tend to make the mixture steam and pop, so be careful.

Cooking the roux slowly and evenly is a must to prevent burning. A burned roux will evacuate the house with its odor. It cannot be salvaged. The cook must start over.

Learning to cook a roux is not difficult. With patience, a cook can produce dishes worthy of the great chefs.

Discussion Comments

behaviourism

As a vegetarian, I prefer a roux that does not use lard, though I know that gumbo roux and other traditional roux dishes often do include animal fat. However, the use of vegetable oil or butter is a pretty easy switch.

anon29739

Thank you wiseGEEK

This method of cooking a roux sounds like my grandmothers. There is one difference; her roux recipe started with two fists of lard.

As a young child I had to ask who's fist? She politely said "why the cooks of course". Then I looked at my uncle's hands and asked what if Uncle Bill, having much larger hands, cooked the gumbo? Having larger hands, she said his fist, his pinch and other ways measuring ingredients would mean only one thing, we will have to invite more friends over to eat! So you see the proportions stay the same no matter who the cook is. However gramdma's gumbo is difficult to duplicate.

thank you again wiseGEEK

PS. keep stirring and "don't burn the roux"

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    • Roux is used as a base for gumbo.
      By: cobraphoto
      Roux is used as a base for gumbo.
    • A roux serves as the base for many cream-based pasta sauces.
      By: Lucky Dragon
      A roux serves as the base for many cream-based pasta sauces.
    • Lobster in a Cajun-style roux.
      By: Monkey Business
      Lobster in a Cajun-style roux.