The Secret to a Roux Sauce | Cooking Tips (2024)

FAQs

The Secret to a Roux Sauce | Cooking Tips? ›

The key to a good roux is to watch it carefully and whisk it almost constantly (if black specks appear, your roux has burned and you should start over). The cooking time will vary based on your desired color—a white roux takes as little as 2–5 minutes, whereas a dark roux requires 30–45 minutes.

The key to a good roux is to watch it carefully and whisk it almost constantly (if black specks appear, your roux has burned and you should start over). The cooking time will vary based on your desired color—a white roux takes as little as 2–5 minutes, whereas a dark roux requires 30–45 minutes.

Not cooking the flour long enough to lose the raw taste is one of the biggest mistakes many people make when making roux. The basic white roux takes about 5 to 6 minutes to complete. Just do not forget to stir. Stirring is the second most often mistake.

There's no right or wrong to which fat you use; it just depends on what flavor you want. In a dairy-heavy sauce, like milky béchamel, butter is the common choice (and is also the more common fat in most French roux), while oil is often preferred in Creole and Cajun cooking.

Cornstarch should not be cooked into a roux. Using flour as a thickener will make the sauce opaque and cloudy while cornstarch leaves a shiny, more translucent finish. This is a desirable feature for fruit pie fillings and certain sauces, especially in Chinese stir-fries.

It consists of equal quantities of butter and plain flour. The fat is melted, the flour is mixed through over a gentle heat. Hot liquid is then gradually mixed into the paste to make a silky sauce which needs a few minutes more cooking before serving or using.

WHEAT FLOUR: THICKENING WITH ROUX

Clarified butter is often used because of its preferred flavor, but vegetable oils or other rendered animal fats (chicken, pork, or duck) can also be used. A roux should be stiff and not runny.

Flour and butter are all you need to make a roux, but make use of those pan drippings for an extra-flavorful roux. And remember, the longer you cook the roux, the darker and more flavorful it gets, but the less thickening properties it has.

If it starts to clump up and look a little thick, add a little more fat. Likewise, if the roux seems thin and not thickening at all, add a little more flour. Don't go overboard. Try one tablespoon at a time until it reaches the desired consistency.

How many cups of oil do I need for a roux? ›

For a general roux (stews, courtbouillion, gravy for beef) I use 1/2 cup each oil and flour, using both cooking oil and olive oil. For heartier dishes such as gumbo (seafood, chicken or duck), I'll add bacon to the gumbo and use the drippings after cooking it off to create the roux, using the same 1:1 ratio.

Cook to preferred darkness:

Cook over medium, stirring constantly, until roux is desired color, 2 to 45 minutes, depending on darkness.

Roux takes just a few minutes to make. Whether you are making just enough for a single dish, or a batch to divide and freeze for later, the proportions of ingredients are the same: 1 part oil or fat and 1 part all-purpose flour, by weight.

As mentioned, the general rule of thumb is to use equal amounts (by weight) of fat and flour. There should be enough fat to coat all the starch granules. Be careful, however, not to add too much fat. The sauce can quickly become greasy and give the sauce an oily look.

Brown and dark brown roux have more flavor, but less thickening power than white or blond roux. Dark roux are primarily used in Cajun and Creole dishes, most notably gumbo and jambalaya.