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

thetrim

@SGH Do you take requests??? I'm really looking forward to sausage gravy and biscuits in the style of Dixie

SGH

thetrim said:

@SGH Do you take requests??? I'm really looking forward to sausage gravy and biscuits in the style of Dixie

It's coming brother. Just give me time my friend. 

paqman

Nice post!

SGH

paqman said:

Nice post!

Thanks brother paq, I really appreciate it my friend.  

SciAggie

SGH said:

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.  

That's why I asked someone who knows more chemistry than I do. Thanks for the response. 

NC_Egghead

@SGH , thanks for the inspiration. I've been jonesing for some gumbo and your guidance will go a long way. 

Tbla

Great post.  I'd love to see the full gumbo recipe.   I'm reading this trying to figure out how much roux i need to make for a big 'ol pot of Gumbo.   I got a new 7 quart Lodge CI dutch oven.  

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

SGH

Tbla said:

I'm reading this trying to figure out how much roux i need to make for a big 'ol pot of Gumbo.  

To make gumbo in the style of Dixie, a good general rule of thumb is 1/3 cup of roux per each gallon of gumbo. That's not exact though. Just depends on the consistency that you are looking for. However it's real close and a universal starting point for Dixie style gumbo my friend. 

bgebrent

This thread you post is really great for beginners Scottie, a true service to all of us brother.

garyflintstone

My tip for the best roux you will ever taste is white whole wheat flour. Must be white whole wheat.  Regular whole wheat has black specs that can be confused for burned roux.  Amazing flavor.  Thank me later.

Also cool with combo of celery, onion, and green pepper. ( I prefer red pepper). Also throw in some jalapeño.

For everything Cajun the bible is:
Chef Paul Prudhomme's - Louisiana Kitchen Cookbook

SGH

garyflintstone said:

For everything Cajun the bible is:
Chef Paul Prudhomme's - Louisiana Kitchen Cookbook

He was a cooking God. I had the honor of meeting him about 10 years ago. He was a guest speaker at a event I attended with my wife in NO. Truly one of the greats.  

garyflintstone

Also, the only way to make a roux is cast iron outside. To avoid fire alarms and stinking up your entire house

garyflintstone

KPauls kitchen in NO is a religious experience.

BigGreenHog

I first learned how to make a roux from Justin Wilson, I then branched out from that foundation and experimented.  I like to get my roux really dark for gumbo, but some people like a blonder roux better.  Chef Besh has a good recipe.  It is a must not to use rice in your gumbo.  Use tator salad and go more mustard base.  

BigGreenHog

nolaegghead

http://eggheadforum.com/discussion/1164143/saturday-crawfish-boil-and-makin-gumbo

frognot

Excellent thread right here! This time a year my chili makin' and gumbo cookin' goes up. Lotta good info shared.

jlsm

At the risk of being labeled a heretic, I make mine in the microwave. Very little stirring. Same proportions, but mix the oil and the flour all at once until smooth. Microwave on high for 4 minutes, stir and hit for 4 more minutes. Stir and then evaluate; cook longer at shorter intervals if needed for the color you want. Much less effort for the same taste and consistency. I then dump the roux into my finely diced vegetables. 

tfhanson

jlsm said:

At the risk of being labeled a heretic, I make mine in the microwave. Very little stirring. Same proportions, but mix the oil and the flour all at once until smooth. Microwave on high for 4 minutes, stir and hit for 4 more minutes. Stir and then evaluate; cook longer at shorter intervals if needed for the color you want. Much less effort for the same taste and consistency. I then dump the roux into my finely diced vegetables. 

Burn him. Burn him alive and cover him in microwaved roux.

SGH

jlsm said:

At the risk of being labeled a heretic, I make mine in the microwave. 

Brother, if it gives the results that you like, then no harm no foul. I'm one of those people that believes that the more you know the better. The microwave roux is a great trick to have up your sleeve. This thread has garnered far more attention than I thought it would. Folks seem to be intersted in roux. As such I'm going to do a very detailed post on the many different ways to make roux. I have one that I'm willing to bet that most folks have never heard of. 

tonyled

if microwave is heresy you really wont like my method.  consistent, quick, and no more burns

Dredger

Great thread about making roux. Good point on the aroma. It ain't ready until you hit the "nutty" stage. We don't make much gumbo around here due to lack of a good source for seafood, but we sure do love it. We do, however, make a lot of gravy. Always from scratch.

SGH

Dredger said:

Always from scratch.

This ^^^^^^ is a must sister. 

Dredger

I hear ya @SGH, if used a mix, my family would probably stone me. Scratch is easy once you master it. As a kid, I was the "gravy maker" most of the time. When my kid sister got big enough, I would pull a kitchen stool to the stove, giver her a kitchen mitt and the wooden spoon and tell her to keep stirring. I have to laugh now, because she arrives at family dinner get-togethers and grabs a wooden spoon for gravy duty. I only let her stir, then I take it from there, lol. I always wondered why she doesn't cook much.

thetrim

Dredger said:

I hear ya @SGH, if used a mix, my family would probably stone me. Scratch is easy once you master it. As a kid, I was the "gravy maker" most of the time. When my kid sister got big enough, I would pull a kitchen stool to the stove, giver her a kitchen mitt and the wooden spoon and tell her to keep stirring. I have to laugh now, because she arrives at family dinner get-togethers and grabs a wooden spoon for gravy duty. I only let her stir, then I take it from there, lol. I always wondered why she doesn't cook much.

That's really funny.  I'd love to have you start a gravy thread!

SGH

thetrim said:

Dredger said:

I hear ya @SGH, if used a mix, my family would probably stone me. Scratch is easy once you master it. As a kid, I was the "gravy maker" most of the time. When my kid sister got big enough, I would pull a kitchen stool to the stove, giver her a kitchen mitt and the wooden spoon and tell her to keep stirring. I have to laugh now, because she arrives at family dinner get-togethers and grabs a wooden spoon for gravy duty. I only let her stir, then I take it from there, lol. I always wondered why she doesn't cook much.

That's really funny.  I'd love to have you start a gravy thread!

If she don't beat me to it, I'm working on a very in depth thread covering light roux, blonde roux, medium roux, dark roux, cake roux, and white and brown gravy. With that said and aside, I would love to see sister Dredgers take on it instead of mine.  

Thatgrimguy

SGH said:

thetrim said:

Dredger said:

I hear ya @SGH, if used a mix, my family would probably stone me. Scratch is easy once you master it. As a kid, I was the "gravy maker" most of the time. When my kid sister got big enough, I would pull a kitchen stool to the stove, giver her a kitchen mitt and the wooden spoon and tell her to keep stirring. I have to laugh now, because she arrives at family dinner get-togethers and grabs a wooden spoon for gravy duty. I only let her stir, then I take it from there, lol. I always wondered why she doesn't cook much.

That's really funny.  I'd love to have you start a gravy thread!

If she don't beat me to it, I'm working on a very in depth thread covering light roux, blonde roux, medium roux, dark roux, cake roux, and white and brown gravy. With that said and aside, I would love to see sister Dredgers take on it instead of mine.  

I for one am very much looking forward to this thread!

noregard

Thatgrimguy said:

SGH said:

thetrim said:

Dredger said:

I hear ya @SGH, if used a mix, my family would probably stone me. Scratch is easy once you master it. As a kid, I was the "gravy maker" most of the time. When my kid sister got big enough, I would pull a kitchen stool to the stove, giver her a kitchen mitt and the wooden spoon and tell her to keep stirring. I have to laugh now, because she arrives at family dinner get-togethers and grabs a wooden spoon for gravy duty. I only let her stir, then I take it from there, lol. I always wondered why she doesn't cook much.

That's really funny.  I'd love to have you start a gravy thread!

If she don't beat me to it, I'm working on a very in depth thread covering light roux, blonde roux, medium roux, dark roux, cake roux, and white and brown gravy. With that said and aside, I would love to see sister Dredgers take on it instead of mine.  

I for one am very much looking forward to this thread!

Me too!!  I have several botched attempts at gravy under my belt, much room to improve!  Calling Dr. @SGH .

Dredger

My approach to gravy is much like what @SGH does. 2 tablespoons all purpose flour, 2 tablespoons oil (I use California Ranch extra virgin olive oil) and 1 cup liquid. I brown the flour on medium and then add the liquid (water or broth). I use pan drippings and augment with about 1/2 teaspoon of Better Than Bouillon. The magic is stir, stir, stir until you smell a nutty aroma, then add the liquid. If you need 3 cups of gravy, multiply times 3. It's fool proof and idiot proof. The main thing is brown the flour properly and you will be rewarded with perfect gravy. Keep in mind that this is not a proper roux, it's just gravy. There is a vast difference and I'm sure @SGH will chime in with the details for that. A proper roux is, indeed, a work of art and well worth the time it takes to achieve it.