Roux | Haynes | Copy Me That

For the oil. If I'm making a dark roux, I like to use peanut oil. Any cooking oil is okay, vegetable, canola, lard. Butter will work, but is expensive and not necessary for anything other than a blonde roux or a delicate sauce. I avoid olive oil due to the strong flavor.

Use an equal amount, more or less, of all purpose flour. My choice for 2 cups of roux would be 1 scant cup oil, one heaping cup of flour. This is close to an equal amount by weight. Some prefer a looser roux with more oil than flour, others prefer a tight roux with more flour than oil. Discover what you prefer and be consistent.

Cast iron is ideal. Any heavy pot will work well. Heat the oil over a medium high heat. Add the flour and stir constantly. Constantly stir. Constantly stir while stirring constantly. Nothing in the pot should sit still for more than a few seconds at a time. If it sits still for too long, it will burn. At the same time, be careful with splatter. It is called Cajun Napalm. This very hot combination will stick to your skin and burn badly. Stir constantly but don't splatter. Watch as the roux becomes dirty blonde, this is the least it should be cooked. Anything less will taste like raw flour. Light brown is like peanut butter. Medium brown is like milk chocolate. Dark brown is a dirty penny color.

A dark roux will not thicken as much as a lighter roux, but a dark roux will add more flavor. Many say a dark roux's flavor is essential in a gumbo.

If you see dark specks and smell burnt popcorn, you may have burned the roux. If you burn the roux, you must dump it, clean the pot and start over. Anything you add to a burnt roux will be ruined.

To use later, you can turn off the fire just before you get the roux to your preferred color. You must continue to stir continuously until the temperature of the pot and roux is low enough that it stops cooking.

My preferred method is to add the seasoning vegetables, most often the trinity of onion, bell pepper, and celery, to the roux as soon as it turns the proper color. This will cool the roux enough that it will not burn. Usually, I'll saute the roux with the vegetables for about five minutes until the vegetables soften and become translucent before continuing with the recipe.

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