Roux

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1

hi all,

hope everyone is enjoying the start of the long weekend.

i have a question about roux (southern) and hoping that i can get some good
feedback.

kw’s roux recipe below and one i found somewhere below that, all start with oil or butter, etc. what about using lard for a roux?

a couple of other recipes i’ve seen have said using lard for the fat to make the roux. a real lard, not the store bought, has a great flavour.

my grandparents used to butcher a couple of pigs in the fall and render their own lard. it was an amazing taste. they would take slabs of fat (still had bits of meat and the skin still attached to it), cut it into 1 inch cubes then render on the top of the stove until desired colour is reached. the darker the cracklings, the darker the lard. cool, strain then put into 10 gallon crocks.
the cracklings were drained, and liberally sprinkle with salt (tepertos) and then made an awesome flacky biscuit (pogacsa) that are to die for. (will post recipe seperately).

i’ve also made my own lard by going to a farmer’s market, butcher store, etc and asking for some slabs of pork fat. ten dollars worth was enough for me for quite awhile. just a tablespoon or less of the lard in any roux will add a nice flavour to any dish. i then cut the lard into small cubes, place in heavy roaster then roast in the oven, stirring frequently, at around 350F until cracklings reach desired colour.

i always used to call my grandmother and say…grandma, i just made such & such a dish and it doesn’t taste like your’s, how come? the answer was always that i used store bought lard and not homemade. since i’ve been using homemade lard for my hungarian cooking, it tastes as close to grandma’s as i can ever get. nothing will ever taste like her cooking did. everything was from scratch. and i will always remember her saying…first you make a roux. lol.

it wasn’t until years later until i started making my own lard that i realized what that delicious aroma was that i always smelled whenever i walked into my grandma’s kitchen. delicious homemade hungarian dishes of which 90% started with…first you make a roux, to which paprika was added and simmering away on the stove. she used to get so mad at me because i’d always lift the lids of the pot and ask, what’s cooking? lol.

sorry about that long ramble. anyway, what are your thoughts on roux?

thx,

rho

2

this is from a post of kw’s (thanks again)…

Roux

First you make a Roux" – this phrase is repeated in almost all
Creole and Cajun recipes. A Roux is a mixture of fat and flour,
cooked together until the flour has turned an even, nut-brown color.
It is important that the Roux be cooked in a heavy pot, slowly and
evenly. If the flour is burned, it will not thicken the sauce.
It will also impart an unpleasant taste.

Accepted methods of making a Roux call for equal parts of flour
and fat (oil, bacon grease, shortening, butter, or margarine).
For an ordinary sauce (such as gumbo, daube, grillades, etc.) bacon
grease or oil is used. For more delicately flavored dishes (poultry,
fish, and eggs), butter or margarine is usually preferred.

In a heavy sauce pan, melt the butter, or slightly heat the oil,
over low heat. Stir in the flour. Cook over low heat, stirring
constantly, until a rich brown Roux is formed (about 20 to 25
minutes).

Roux may be made ahead and refrigerated or frozen, tightly covered,
for long periods of time.

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Cajun Roux

White Roux Is Simply Butter Or Margarine And Flour. This Is The Base Of White Sauces, Cream Sauces And White Or Sawmill Gravy. It Is Made By Melting Butter And Adding Flour And Blending Completely. In This Case There Is Usually More Butter Than Flour. For Every Tablespoon Of Butter You Add 1½ Tablespoons Of Flour.


Tight Roux (light Brown Or Medium) Is Used Primarily To Thicken Although It Is Flavourful As Well. This Is Made With Either Butter Or Oil And Flour (although Butter Is Recommended). Equal Parts Of Butter And Flour Are Used To Achieve This Roux. Melt Butter (or Heat Oil) And Add Flour. Whisk Together And Continue On Medium Heat Until Mixture Thickens And Becomes A Paper Bag Brown Colour.


Dark Roux Is Possibly The Most Used Roux In Cajun Cooking. There Are Several Opinions About The Colour Of A Dark Roux. I Use A Very Dark Coloured Roux (about The Colour Of Dark Chocolate) And Have A Definite Style Of Preparing It. Most Say To Mix Equal Amounts Of Oil (do Not Use Butter, And Use An Oil That Can Stand Up To High Heat, I.e. Peanut Oil Or Canola), And Flour, But As You Become Familiar With The Process I Suggest You Increase The Flour To Oil Proportion By About 20%.

It Is Important That You Understand The Importance Of A Successfully Completed Roux. Since It Is An Integral Part Of A Lot Of Cajun Recipes You Must Not Scorch Or Burn The Roux. When You First Begin To Make Roux You Will Experience A Very Distinctive Smell. In Fact, The Completed Roux Will Have A Slightly Burned Flour Smell. If You Follow The Instructions To The Letter You Will Not Burn The Roux. You Must Use Patience In This Process. If You Are Not Patient You Will Surely Burn The Roux Or Will Not Complete The Desired Colour. Once You Have Mastered The Process This Smell Will Become Pleasant To You And All In Your Household, Because The Smell Means Something Good Is Coming From The Kitchen.

Heat Oil Slightly Hot. Add Flour And Blend With The Utensil Of Your Choice ( Most People Say A Wooden Spoon, Some Use A Metal Spatula, I Use A Wire Whisk). You Must Whisk Or Stir The Mixture, Constantly Scraping The Bottom And Edges Until Roux Is Completed? Keep On High Heat Until Flour Begins To Brown. When The Oil Begins To Smoke You Must Reduce Heat To Medium Or Medium High (depending On Your Skill) And Continue To Whisk Or Stir Until The Roux Gets To A Dark Brown Colour. At This Stage You Can Do A Couple Of Things. You Can Remove The Roux From Heat And Stir Until The Roux Is Cool Enough To Stop Darkening, If You Choose This Process You Must Remove The Roux Before You Reach The Desired Colour. It Will Progress To A Darker Colour Because Of The Heat That Is Retained In The Oil. The Other Option Is To Remove From Heat When The Roux Is Almost The Colour You Want And Add Chopped Fresh Onion To The Hot Roux And Stir Until The Onions Stop Steaming. (caution! The Steam From The Onions Will Burn You If You Are Not Careful). I Use The Latter Method.