How to make a roux

Roux are very important in cooking, at least the cooking I do. My philosophy with food is go big or go home. If I’m making something, it’s going to taste good, and it’s going to look and taste how I want it to. Roux helps with that philosophy. It helps me achieve my dreams. It’s pretty special.

Flour and cornstarch are good thickeners. Except cornstarch has a weird taste and consistency in large quantities. Dropping flour in a pot of boiling water is comical. It just boils right up into a powdering, yucky mess that won’t blend in with your soup and will taste terrible. That’s why we make roux.

Roux are used to thicken soup, or as a base for soup, or to make gravy. Soups helped by roues are chicken and dumplings, potato soup, broccoli and cheese soup, pretty much anything creamy.

The idea is to mix flour with hot fat, and then liquid. As it cooks in liquid it gets thicker, but not too thick. How much you use depends on how thick you want to make something and the amount of liquid you need to thicken.  Here’s what you do:

Roux

• 3 tbsp Butter and/or grease from chicken, beef, etc
• 3/4 cup Flour
• 1 cup Milk or broth

1. In a medium saucepan, melt your butter/fat on medium-high heat

2. Once heated, sloooowly add the flour. Constantly whisk the mixture until it turns a light golden brown

3. This is when you can add your liquid. Turn off the heat source and slowly add the liquid. Keep whisking.

4. This is when you can incorporate it into your soup. Pour it into your soup and stir.

If you’re making a gravy out of your roux, use grease the meat instead of butter, skip the milk and add more liquid until it reaches your desired consistency.

Chicken and dumplin soup thickened with a roux