Roux* is a popular addition to Cajun dishes and is sometimes referred to as Cajun napalm. It is only oil and water… in it’s basic form. The point is to make it with care as you do not want to splash it on yourself. It is very hot and sticky. Long sleeves and long handle utensils are suggested. Typically the ratio is 50-50 oil and unsifted flour. It adds a distinctive flavor and texture to any dish. It may seem hard to make, but with practice, it is certainly worth it. If you see black specs, it has burned and needs to be discarded. C’est la vie! Do so, then carefully wipe the pan clean and start again. Believe me it’s worth it.
You can make it in advance and store several days in an airtight container and then reheat it. It could have a layer of oil on top. You might want to remove that off before reheating.
Lighter colored roux or blond roux is made by cooking it for a shorter time period, and it goes with darker meat dishes such as beef or game. Brown or red-brown or black roux is cooked for a longer time and thus darkens more. The darker roux goes with fowl dishes or seafoods. The very dark, black roux will add unique flavors in gumbos. Black roux is not easy to make and burns easily so care is needed in constant stirring and attention to what is happening.
Some tips:
What kind of oil? You need one with a high smoke point such as peanut, vegetable, or canola oil or maybe grape seed oil. Avoid butter as it has problems scorching at high temps. Olive oil has a distinct flavor so probably avoid that. You are looking for something neutral. Possible alternatives are bacon fat, or rendered duck fat but you need to consider how it will affect your dish. However, experimenting is not discouraged.
Use a clean well seasoned skillet. Cast iron is my preference. Forget using non- stick pans. A flared side makes stirring easier which helps keeping the flour moving so it does not burn. Use a skillet large enough so that you are not using it more than a quarter of it’s depth. Use metal or wooden spoons or a whisk to stir. Keep thinking stir, stir, stir… you don’t need to be distracted while working on this.
The oil should be smoking hot before the flour is added. Gradually add the flour… about a third at a time. New roux makers might ask for some help. Let your partner add the flour while you stir. Spoon it in carefully ,close to the oil, to avoid splashes. Whisk quickly and constantly to avoid burning the flour. As flour has some moisture and may cause steam is a good reason to use long handle utensils. As it cooks it will darken from a light tan, to reddish brown to dark brown to nearly black.
When you have reached the desired darkness, immediately remove from the heat. CONTINUE stirring as the pan retains heat and, it will continue to darken if you are not careful. This may require stirring for 3-5 more minutes until it cools and stops browning.
If you think it is darkening too fast, move it off the burner and continue stirring to let it cool, and you get it under control. Then back on the heat to reach the desired color.
Care and concentration are essential to make roux quickly. Older methods require cooking for hours. Keep young ones and pets away from your creation. Finally, have all the required vegetables and seasoning mixtures prepared ahead of time and near at hand before you start. Read your recipe over a couple of times so you will be familiar with the steps and when to add your masterpiece. This is your Lagniappe!
Don’t be deterred by the warnings. Try it in a small batch, say 1/2 cup oil and 1/2 cup flour to practice.
*a mixture of cooked oil and flour added to dishes as a thickening agent and flavor enhancer. The word is from French and derived from beurre roux brown butter. Now you know. 🙂