You might want to keep a jar of peanut butter out to compare. Generally, it is used as a thickening agent, but the darker you make it, the less it will ultimately thicken whatever you add it to. Welcome to our kitchen! We're Brooke & Emma, the mother-daughter team behind Savor the Flavour. So I wanted to try to go darker for even more flavor. With a dark roux, the "holy trinity" of aromatic vegetables—onion, green pepper, and celery—tender chicken, spicy andouille sausage, and your choice of thickener (okra, filé powder, or both), this Cajun-style gumbo … Like SAVOIE'S Old Fashioned Roux (Dark), this product is made with 100% vegetable oil and contains No Cholesterol. Jess Pryles is a full fledged Hardcore Carnivore. Follow me for the latest in meat musings. All up, you’re potentially looking at an hour to get this thing made right to the darkest shade. #feast-advanced-jump-to { z-index: 999; border: none; opacity: 0.97; background: #FCFCFC; border-left:4px solid #CCC; padding:5px 0 10px 20px; margin-bottom: 57px;} #feast-advanced-jump-to summary, #feast-advanced-jump-to ul{ margin-left:0;min-height:50px;} #feast-advanced-jump-to li { list-style-type:none; } #feast-advanced-jump-to li a { text-decoration: none; }@media only screen and (max-width: 800px) { .single h2 { display: block; position: relative; padding-top: 83px; margin-top: -83px; } } Gradually add and mix the 3 quarts of water to the roux and vegetables then bring everything back to a slow boil. I use nearly equal parts vegetable oil and plain flour (one cup of each), but slightly more flour than oil, just a heaped tablespoon or so. Read Part 3, where I share how to make gumbo. After 5 minutes, turned the heat down to medium high. That depends on the flavor that you're looking for in your gumbo. Continue whisking, making sure to get into the corners. If you like, exchange your whisk for a wooden spoon, but keep stirring constantly. Whisk the flour into the melted lard with a large metal whisk until all the flour is well mixed. Put the oil in the pan, whisk in the flour, then keep whisking. I'm so glad that you enjoyed reading this post and that you're really into cooking. ★☆ It is a base for gravies, soups, etouffee, gumbo and many other Cajun and French dishes. Once the roux looks like milk chocolate, stir in onions and cook over medium-high heat for about 10 minutes, or until onions caramelize and roux is dark-chocolate color and thick like molasses. You can make this ahead of time and keep tightly covered in the frige or freezer. Do you love Creole cooking? Roux are always cooked to a specific shade that can range from white to blond to peanut butter—and even darker. There are versions which can be made in an oven, but when you’re really into cooking you’ll know there’s a certain level of satisfaction in going through the process. This will allow you to control the color … Either one tastes very good in a gumbo. It definitely will be very thick; that's a good thing. Remember, the roux darkens and continues to cook when it's removed from the source of heat, especially if it's in a cast iron pan. If you smell it burning, lower the heat or move the cast iron skillet off the burner for a while. Instead of stirring constantly on the stovetop, blast it in the oven and only stir it about every half hour. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. ★☆ Happy cooking! The roux gets you only so far. One of the culinary highlights of having friends who are of Cajun heritage is without doubt probing their minds to uncover incredible recipes with decades of provenance, like how to make a proper roux. If you don't use enough flour, the roux will be watery. Cajun cooking wouldn't taste right without the roux. As for the color of ROUX for GUMBO,Creoles tend to make a ROUX the color of peanut butter. Classic chunky Aussie Meat Pies (a great recipe for expats! If you need a reminder about just how much heat these things retain, just try touching the handle even after the burner has been off for half an hour. Thank you so much, Suzanne! It was amazing. ROUX is best made with LARD, BACON FAT,Or oil or a combination of all of them. The pleasure of a 5-star review would be greatly appreciated. Stay away from olive oil. After a few minutes you'll start to see a change in color. Your recipes and explanations are extremely well-done. Note: This post is Part 2 of my three-part series in making gumbo. I wanted to post a photo to see if I got my roux too dark. Slowly pour in stock, whisking constantly to prevent lumps from forming. If time allows, it is best to use this right away by adding in chopped onion, celery, and green pepper and cooking the Cajun trinity in the roux. The copper penny stage is the lightest that one should go, but darker is totally okay as well. Watch your roux. Copycat Chick-fil-A Cookies and Cream Milkshake, Roasted Cabbage Wedges with Lemon Garlic Butter. Creole rouxs are typically very pale, so this recipe technically would be considered a Cajun roux. Before you start, get all the ingredients and supplies. Think of your roux like a needy and mischievous toddler – never take your eyes off it and just be extremely patient. Hi Teresa! Learn how your comment data is processed. You're very welcome, Jacki! Keep stirring until you are almost at the desired color. Dark Roux Gumbo 1 roasted turkey (or turkey leftovers), pulled and chopped into chunks (4 cups of diced turkey, a mix of dark and white meat) 1 lb smoked sausage (andouille sausage is preferred), cut into small chunks 1/2 cup Cajun spice blend (if you do not make your own, be sure to use a low-sodium version) Once you make the roux, it's up to the slow cooker to do the work. Continue stirring until it cools, roughly 5 minutes. (Not olive oil or butter) Cook and stir the roux until it becomes a nice deep brown color and becomes fragrant. When hot, add the onions, celery and bell pepper. Which is really quite gross and means you have to start again from scratch. White roux is cooked for 2–5 minutes, just long enough to get rid of the raw flour taste, take on a light tan color, and achieve the texture of wet sand. People are so afraid of roux, but the most ingredient of all is patience, which you added. The low and slow process allows an incredible depth of flavour to develop which is just not present in a rushed roux. ★☆ But gumbo calls for a dark roux. I like to use oil for my gumbo roux because oil has a higher smoke point so you can get it darker. Recommended Tools The classic Aussie meat pie has a golden flaky pastry crust housing a perfectly rich beefy filling. My Grandmother made a "BLOND ROUX" when she made a Lobster Gumbo or any Gumbo that used white seafood. Turn the burner to medium low, grab a glass of wine or a beer in your favorite koozie, and settle in for a stir-fest. You can stop here or you can continue to cook it until it is the color of milk chocolate, as called for in this gumbo. In order to achieve this, turn the heat down to low. It will take another 20 to 30 minutes of stirring to get to this point. You're right--many dishes use a roux, such as white sauces and gravies. I thank you, so very much. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. We're glad you enjoyed the gumbo recipe! With that said, gumbo is not dependent on roux for all it's thickening purposes. Increase your kitchen confidence with our tempting recipes, instructional photos, and helpful tips and facts. It’s all cooked an ready to use, or you can store it in glass jars in the fridge/freezer til you need it. This time that’s what I done. So please be careful. It can well be argued great steak needs no additions – but you won’t regret adding this amazing savory butter. A roux, a cooked mixture of flour and fat, works primarily as a thickener for sauces and stews, but it also provides the dish with flavor and color. Scott, co-owner of Snapper Grabbers Seafood Market in Vestavia Hills, makes seafood gumbo with a dark roux, about the color of a well-used penny. Add the duck to your gumbo and continue to cook on medium heat for 30 - 40 minutes. When I let it cool to pour in the bowl for storage it was so thick. Creole Roux Cooking Time Chart: The amount of time it takes to cook a roux to an appropriate level of darkness seems to be an eternal mystery for tout le mond. Stir constantly for 20-30 minutes and it will darken as it cooks. When you first mix it together, you’ll want to break up any lumps in the flour, I like to use a “roux paddle” (mine is well seasoned at the end) which is kinda like a wooden spoon but flat on the bottom, so you can scrape more up at once and reduce the burn risk a little. Like, stupid hot. Unsalted would be fine for a blond roux but use clarified for a darker roux. If you want, you can keep a penny close by to compare. Your goal is to have it a smooth and silky consistency, not lumpy. A flavorful gumbo without all the stovetop cooking time! I often have people ask me for my gumbo recipe, but I don't have the patience to write out all the steps and find it hard to explain. Make a roux by whisking the flour and 3/4 cup bacon drippings together in a large, heavy saucepan over medium-low heat to form a smooth mixture. She's a live fire cook, author, meat specialist and Meat Science grad student. Because of this fact, it's a good idea to turn off the heat and remove it from the burner when it's one or two shades lighter than you want it to be. Whisk until it begins to bubble. I had saw somewhere where you could get it the color of chocolate. When the roux turns to a dark chocolate color remove from heat and set aside until ready for use. It takes a little getting used to since the metal retains so much heat, and you need to be cautious not to let the roux burn, cook on a super low flame and be very patient. Once it’s brought together, the next step will see little white bubbles rise to the surface and cook off. The flour should smell nutty, not burnt. Stir constantly with a a wire whisk or a wooden spoon, and don't walk away from it. 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