This article was co-authored by Anne Lloyd. Chef Anne Lloyd is a Professional Chef and the Owner of Nolavore in New Orleans, Louisiana. Chef Anne has had a career in the restaurant and food service industries for over 30 years and has traveled and cooked on both coasts of the United States as well as in Europe and Southeast Asia. She specializes in utilizing local and regional foods to create dishes featuring international flavors. She also provides full-service catering, prepared foods, gourmet packaged goods, pantry items, and kids' cooking camps and classes for all ages. She received a BA in Anthropology from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and her Associate of Arts, Culinary Arts degree from the California Culinary Academy. Anne is an alumna of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Summit.
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A roux is a cooked mixture of flour and fat of some type. You can use fat drippings, butter, shortening, or other types of fat. A roux is used as the base and thickener for gumbo and other soups that need a thick consistency and rich flavor. Read on for information on how to make a roux.
Ingredients
- 1 cup flour
- 1 cup fat (such as drippings from pork or chicken, butter, shortening, or oil)
Steps
Making a Roux
Choose the fat you want to use. The fat you use to make a roux greatly impacts its flavor. Using bacon drippings creates a smoky, salty base for the dish you're making. Butter adds richness, and shortening and other types of oil tend to create a lighter flavor. Use the fat recommended in the recipe you're using, or if it's not specified, consider these options:[1]- Use bacon or pork drippings to make a roux you'll be using for gumbo or another dish that will have smoky elements like sausage.[2]
- Use butter to make a roux you'll be using for a creamy soup, such as a chowder. This is also a good choice if you're making a roux for macaroni and cheese.[3]
- Shortening makes a good roux base for lighter gratin dishes, since it doesn't have an overwhelming flavor.
Heat the fat in a skillet. Use a cast iron skillet or another heavy frying pan. Place the pan over medium heat and add the fat. Let the fat heat until it has just melted. If you're using oil, let it heat for just about 2 minutes.[4]- Add the flour. Place the flour in the skillet with the fat. Use a whisk to begin stirring the mixture constantly. Use the whisk to break up any lumps in the flour and distribute it evenly through the melted fat.[5]
- If you want a thicker, past-like roux, add an extra 1/4 cup of flour.
- For a thinner, more liquid roux, reduce the flour by 1/4 cup.
- Cook the roux. Continue whisking the roux constantly while it cooks. The mixture will begin to thin and darken after several minutes. Continue cooking it until it has the color and consistency you need for your recipe.[6]
- Some recipes call for a blond roux. In a blond roux, the roux mixture turns to a light golden color and has a mild flavor. It's usually ready after about 8 minutes.[7]
- You might see a recipe that calls for a dark roux, also called a chocolate roux. It can take about 60 minutes to achieve this color. Some people find it easier to start the roux on the stove and finish cooking it an over heated to 325 degrees.[8]
- Remove the roux from heat. When the roux has reached the color and texture you want, remove it from heat. It's now ready for you to use in the recipe you're following.
- Store the roux. If you want to use the roux later, place it in a food storage container and keep it covered in the refrigerator. It will harden as it cools, but it will melt when you add heat. You can scoop out as much as you need on a recipe-by-recipe basis.[9]Advertisement
Using a Roux
Use a roux to make gumbo. Roux are an important element of Cajun cooking. Gumbo, a classic Cajun dish, is frequently thickened with blonde or dark roux, depending on the recipe. Make a roux and add ingredients like okra, peppers, sausage, chicken, shrimp, and chicken stock for a delicious dish.[10]
Use a roux to make a gratin. Gratin dishes like potato, cauliflower or tomato gratin have a creamy, cheesy sauce that is built from blonde roux. The roux is thinned with milk and poured over vegetables, then topped with plenty of cheese.[11]
Use a roux to make macaroni and cheese. Making macaroni and cheese from scratch is as easy as creating a roux, thinning it with milk, pouring it over cooked noodles and topping with a mix of cheeses.[12]
Use a roux to make bechamel sauce. This French sauce is the foundation of many pasta dishes.[13]Advertisement
Community Q&A
- QuestionI thought a roux was equal parts fat and flour by weight, not by volume?
Atul Vijay PCommunity AnswerYes, a roux is equal parts fat and flour by weight. It's used as a thickening agent for making continental sauces and gravies.
Video
Tips
- If you see any black speckles in the roux, that means it's burned. You may want to start over, otherwise it may taste funny.Thanks
- Roux is usually fairly tasteless. The darker it is the more of a smoky flavor it gets.Thanks
- If the roux starts smoking, it's burning. You should notice a consistency change as soon as it starts burning as it will start to firm up very quickly and will start sticking to the pan. Don't cook it past the color of dark chocolate.Thanks
Warnings
- If you're using a nonstick pan, don't use a metal utensil to stir the roux. It will scratch off the nonstick coating and ruin your pan.Thanks
- Be very careful not to get any hot roux on you. It will leave third degree burns, and stick until it cools.Thanks
Things You'll Need
- a wooden spoon or a fully metal whisk
- A cast iron or steel skillet
References
- ↑ https://www.foodnetwork.com/how-to/articles/how-to-make-a-roux-a-step-by-step-guide
- ↑ https://www.gumbocooking.com/roux-making-instructions.html
- ↑ https://dish.allrecipes.com/how-to-make-roux/
- ↑ https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/white-roux-recipe-1939081
- ↑ https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/white-roux-recipe-1939081
- ↑ https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/white-roux-recipe-1939081
- ↑ https://www.thespruceeats.com/traditional-roux-recipe-light-or-blonde-3060575
- ↑ https://www.marthastewart.com/351294/dark-roux
- ↑ https://dish.allrecipes.com/how-to-make-roux/
About this article
A roux is a mixture of equal parts fat and flour. You can add a roux to a sauce or soup to improve the flavor and thicken the texture of the dish. To make a roux, first choose the fat you’d like to use, like butter, bacon fat, pork drippings, margarine, or shortening. Heat the fat in a nonstick skillet over medium heat until it melts. Then, add an equal amount of all-purpose flour. Whisk the flour into the fat until the texture and color become uniform. How long you cook the roux depends on the color of the roux required for your recipe. Cook the roux for 2-5 minutes to make a white roux, which will thicken your dish without adding a lot of flavor. For a blond roux, cook the roux for 6-10 minutes, or until it's a light brown color. A blond roux will add a toasty flavor to your food. Cook the roux for 15-30 minutes if you’re looking for a medium-brown roux, which has a hearty flavor that’s ideal for gumbo or soup. For a dark roux with a deep, coffee-like flavor, heat the roux for 35-45 minutes. When the roux is done, add it to the dish you’re cooking. You can store any unused roux in the fridge for up to 1 week. If you want to learn how to use your roux when it's finished, keep reading the article!
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