How to make a Roux. In the style of Dixie.

SGH

I thought I would share this simple but near insurmountable task for some folks. Making a great roux is simple and straightforward if you follow just a few simple rules. Yet I hear folks say all of the time that they just can't get it right for whatever reason or another.
Well my friends, if you like gumbo or most any other Cajun dish, making a great roux is a must. With the above said, here is how I make a medium and dark roux. I will cover a light or blonde roux later if anyone is interested. 
Roux is equal parts (by weight, not volume) of flour and fat. Some will argue that any starch can be used. This is true for the most part, but for that authentic Cajun taste, flour reigns supreme and has no equal. 
The fat, depending on final use of the roux can be butter, cooking oil or bacon grease. For gumbo or a roux that is going in a pressure cooker, peanut oil is the odds on favorite as it will hold up well. For light dishes, butter works just fine. 

Directions:
Heat oil over medium low heat. 
Sprinkle in a small amount of flour and start stirring. Once you start adding flour you can not stop stirring or you will end up with lumpy and bitter roux. 
Once the flour has blended in well, add more and keep stirring. Repeat this over and over until all of the flour is used. 
Once all of the flour is in, stir until you reach the desired color that you want. Remove from heat and throw in some chopped onions to stop the cooking process. The cold onions will stop the cooking. 

Useful tips:
Once you start adding flour, start stirring and do not stop until the roux is complete and removed from the heat.
To help prevent hot spots and scorching, use a heavy pan such as cast iron or carbon steel. Only the Roux Gods should attemp it with thin aluminum or SS pans.
Stir constantly. 
To stir, use a wooden spoon, not a whisk. A wooden spoon will get down into the corner crease of the pan. A whisk will not. No matter what any guru tries to tell you, a wooden spoon is far and away the superior stirring utensil when it comes to making roux. Save the whisk for cakes and such. The flour that the whisk leaves in the crease will inevitably scorch and turn your roux bitter. 
Stir constantly. 
Remember to add the flour in very small amounts at a time to prevent clumping. 
Stir constantly. 
When your roux reaches the desired color, you can throw in a handful of chopped onion and celery to stop the cooking process. If you don't, your roux will darken a little farther even after you remove it from the heat. 
And last but certainly not least, stir constantly. Do not stop stirring no matter what until the roux is complete. Not constantly stirring is the number one cause of scorched and/or bitter roux. Not stale flour or rancid oil as some would try to have you believe. 
A tell-tale sign that you are doing a good job is if the roux gives off a very strong peanut butter smell while you are cooking it. No joke, it will smell almost identical to peanut butter. For clarity, if it starts smelling like walnuts, stop cooking and throw it away. You have just scorched it and it will be bitter. No question of it. 
Remember that if the roux will be used for gumbo you want a dark roux for the most flavor. If the roux will be exposed to farther heavy cooking say in a pressure cooker recipe, then you want a lighter roux to prevent over cooking it. 

I hope that the above helps anyone who has struggled with making a perfect roux. If you have any questions, feel free to ask. I will gladly offer what I can. 

Oil and flour. Equal parts by weight, not volume. 

Medium roux. Just past the light or "blonde" stage.

Idea of thickness. If you notice the void in the roux, that's where I touched it with the spoon. I had time to sit the spoon down, pick up my phone, pull up the camera, and take a pic before the void closed. The roux is thicker than honey. 

Dark or Cajun roux. This is par excellent for gumbo. 


The above dark roux is the trade secret to NO style gumbo. Gumbo without it is just boiled seafood. Hope that y'all enjoy this post and find some of the info useful my friends. Now go make some gumbo

A final note. For the best homemade gravy ever, use your roux as a base. It will blow away any store bought concoction out there. Trust me on this ones my friends. It's simply no comparison.  

Thatgrimguy

In the style of dixie? More like in the style of France!

Thatgrimguy

Why do I keep logging in right when you post a recipe? 

SGH

Thatgrimguy said:

Why do I keep logging in right when you post a recipe? 

I have that effect on people

Scottborasjr

Thank you for this @SGH I really want to expand to cooking cajun dishes but I'm the only one in the house that will eat them, so typically I resort to the boxed Zaterinns or Tony Catcherre stuff. (I know I didn't spell either correct but it's nearly midnight and I don't care to much.)

SGH

Thatgrimguy said:

In the style of dixie?

Absolutely Dixie style. Just good ole healthy oil and flour. 

More like in the style of France!

The French would would do something sac religious like water it down or thin it out

  

SGH

Scottborasjr said:

Thank you for this @SGH I really want to expand to cooking cajun dishes but I'm the only one in the house that will eat them, so typically I resort to the boxed Zaterinns or Tony Catcherre stuff. (I know I didn't spell either correct but it's nearly midnight and I don't care to much.)

This is a cooking forum, not a spelling contest My pleasure brother. If I can help you expand your Cajun cooking in any way, fell free to give me a shout. I will gladly share what little I know my friend. 

buzd504

I toss the onions in before the celery.  The water in the celery inhibits some of the caramelization of the onions which gives it a nutty flavor that I really like.  Once the onions and roux have made themselves into a nice brown ball, I add the celery and bell peppers.

Also, it is perfectly acceptable to combine fats (i.e. use primarily vegetable oil but a tablespoon of bacon grease, etc), although that might be considered the advanced class.

SGH

buzd504 said:

I toss the onions in before the celery.  

More often than not, I toss onions only in it. I'm using the vegetables to stop the cooking process only. Not to enhance or change the flavor. Of course there are exceptions to this. I have actually got decent enough at making roux that I can usually eyeball it and pull it early and let carry over finish it. Thus avoiding the vegetables all together. I suggested the vegetable trick to help folks out who do not have much experience making roux. It's a good trick to have up your sleeve. 

apinion

You could have gone darker on that roux, baby!

SGH

apinion said:

You could have gone darker on that roux, baby!

Nope. That roux was going in the pressure cooker for 35 minutes. It would have scorched. To go in a gumbo, I would have turned it almost black. You have to stop your roux at a certain point depending on what you are going to do with it to prevent over cooking it. A black roux can not stand up to 35 minutes under pressure without turning bitter. 

jonnymack

Awesome. Rouxs have always been a great mystery to me. I shall take this wisdom you have provided with grea appreciation. 

ryantt

So I want to make sure I've got this clear the trick is to not stir it constantly.....l kid of course. That's a great post and a good tip about the wooden spoon. Never thought about how much the whisk could be and is missing.   Thanks for the post. 

SciAggie

@SGH thanks for the tutorial. I don't often cook Cajun food but I've made boatloads of homemade gravy in my life. I can tell your advise rings true. I think I see a Cajun dish on the menu this weekend...

mgillia

We love our Cajun food down in these here parts -- the "Redneck Riviera" and if it's no trouble would like to know how you do your blonde roux -- very interesting.

fishlessman

did i do it right, only gumbo ive ever eaten was in new england and it was mine

KiterTodd

Awesome!  Thanks for sharing that.

How long does it take you to make a roux for a LARGE pot of Gumbo?

Whenever I make a soup, stew or sauce I make a huge pot because A) Why not?  and B ) I freeze most of it for a great home cooked meal on a later rushed day.  Or C) party time!  However, the roux takes me 30 minutes or more.  I keep the heat low to avoid scorching and for gumbo I usually go for a dark roux, the color of chocolate.

In any case, I agree, the results are world class.

Happened to have a picture of the progression of my last roux to add to this thread;


And here was a small bowl of the resulting gumbo.  I made this one for an Oktoberfest party and it was pulled pork, smoked brats and oysters.  The two porks were done on the Egg.  First time I'd ever done this combo of meat but it was great!
 

northGAcock

@SGH  I make my own roux for graves and sauces but use a preferred fat. Question for you.....why do you use oil instead of butter?

The gumbo looks outstanding by the way. a perfect meal for a cold night.

buzd504

northGAcock said:

@SGH  I make my own roux for graves and sauces but use a preferred fat. Question for you.....why do you use oil instead of butter?

The gumbo looks outstanding by the way. a perfect meal for a cold night.

Not @SGH, but butter will make a richer roux, but you also run the risk of the milk solids "falling out" of the roux and breaking - particularly if you don't maintain temps (like when you add your cold vegetables).  This is more of an issue of you planning on chilling your roux and using it later (or some cooks prefer to add roux at the end to thicken).

It can also break later after you have cooled your gumbo, but I haven't seen that happen as often.

tfhanson

Where is rest of the Gumbo recipe?

SGH

tfhanson said:

Where is rest of the Gumbo recipe?

This was for a roux only. A base for gumbo or cooking wild game. If anyone wants a gumbo recipe, I will gladly whip one up when time allows and post it. I used this roux for my fried/pressure cooked rabbit recipe. 

nolaegghead

Self-rising flour has leavening agents like sodium bicarbonate and some acid in it that can give the roux bitterness.

SGH

nolaegghead said:

Self-rising flour has leavening agents like sodium bicarbonate 

There is some mighty long words in there my friend. I see that I'm going to have to invest in a dictionary if we remain friends

nolaegghead

SGH said:

nolaegghead said:

Self-rising flour has leavening agents like sodium bicarbonate 

There is some mighty long words in there my friend. I see that I'm going to have to invest in a dictionary if we remain friends

Sorry about that, my friend.  Let me rephrase that - self-rising flower has baking powder in it.

SGH

nolaegghead said:

SGH said:

nolaegghead said:

Self-rising flour has leavening agents like sodium bicarbonate 

There is some mighty long words in there my friend. I see that I'm going to have to invest in a dictionary if we remain friends

Sorry about that, my friend.  Let me rephrase that - self-rising flower has baking powder in it.

Much better and much appreciated

SciAggie

@nolaegghead Do you believe the baking powder contributes to the color of the roux in any way? I've read some about how pH changes affect the Maillard reaction. I'm not sure Maillard reactions occur in a liquid state. I know roux darkens just fine with regular flour - I'm just curious if you think it has any influence.

SGH

SciAggie said:

@nolaegghead Do you believe the baking powder contributes to the color of the roux in any way? 

I know that it's just one man talking here, but I do not. Why? Because I can turn it light, blonde, medium, medium/dark, dark and extra dark without it being bitter at all. As such, I base my answer on what I have saw and did for over 40 years. Not what I read. Just my thoughts my friend.  

nolaegghead

@SciAggieThe malliard reaction likes an alkaline environment.  Baking powder is going to be neutral to acidic (acid added to react with the bicarbonate).  Take baking soda and cook hot on a baking sheet to make sodium carbonate.  That would help. (higher pH number is more alkaline)

Base	Normality	pH
Sodium bicarbonate	0.1 N	8.4
Sodium carbonate	0.1 N	11.6
Sodium hydroxide	N	14.0
Sodium hydroxide	0.1 N	13.0

SGH

nolaegghead said:

@SciAggieThe malliard reaction likes an alkaline environment.  Baking powder is going to be neutral to acidic (acid added to react with the bicarbonate).  Take baking soda and cook hot on a baking sheet to make sodium carbonate.  That would help. (higher pH number is more alkaline)

Base	Normality	pH
Sodium bicarbonate	0.1 N	8.4
Sodium carbonate	0.1 N	11.6
Sodium hydroxide	N	14.0
Sodium hydroxide	0.1 N	13.0

Those long words are going to be the death of me But I still love ya brother

Botch

northGAcock said:

Question for you.....why do you use oil instead of butter? 

I would think butter would burn, it has a pretty low smoke point.
I've only made cajun roux once, and my recipe also said, never stop stirring, and med-lo heat!  It came out great, no scorching of the roux, but my wooden spoon WAS scorched and had to be tossed; it took a hell of a long time too.
I used it to make a great jambalaya, but learned something about cajun cooking: there are so many ingredients, that even when you cut down a recipe, it makes WAY too much food for a single person, and being half seafood it doesn't keep/freeze well.  
I order jambalaya every chance I get, but don't try cooking it anymore.
 
Has anyone tried making roux by roasting the dry flour in an oven?  I'd read that somewhere, but have never tried it.  

thetrim

@SGH but I did want to add one thing for you.  Most real Cajun cooks classify their roux not by color but by the number of beers they drink while constantly stirring to get desired color.  For a gumbo you might use a four beer roux dark brown while other dishes that would need a lighter one or two beer roux.   On a particularly thirsty day I made a six beer roux for a gumbo and that was my favorite ever.   This does require significant planning and long arms to keep stirring and be able to reach for that next beer at the same time