How to Make a Roux (Video)

A roux is pretty much equal parts of fat and flour and is used as a thickening agent for soups and sauces. Making a roux is not complicated and choosing the fat depends on the dish you are preparing. Most traditional roux consist of using a clarified butter and all-purpose flour, but you can certainly use regular butter, oil or even bacon fat. All you have to do is melt your butter or heat your oil a bit and then while whisking over heat you gradually add your flour to make a paste like consistency. You want to cook your mixture, and if you want a blonde roux (most common), you simply just cook until a pale brown color appears. Now, other dishes such as in creole cooking, call for darker colored roux, this is to add a bit of a deeper flavor. To make a brown roux, you have to just cook your flour/fat mixture until a darker brown color appears.

Steps

1. Melt your butter or heat your oil in a frying pan

2. Gradually whisk in flour while the heat is still on medium

3. Add equal parts of flour to fat until you have a thick paste

4. Cook your roux until desired amber color

5. Make sure your soup or sauce is boiling before adding in your roux

6. Add a little at a time so you don’t thicken your soup or sauce too much

7. If you over thicken something you can try to save it by adding more liquid to your soup or sauce (like stock, or water)

Roux do you think you are?!