Roux

A roux is a simple combination of two ingredients that makes your life so much easier in the kitchen when thickening soups, sauces and gravies; just to name a few. To make a roux is very easy, like I said, it is only two ingredients.

Take unsalted butter and melt down on low heat. Drain off the clarified butter on the top and discard the milk fats that have collected on the bottom. In a heavy sauce pan, on medium heat, add the clarified butter and equal amounts of plain flour. Heat the mixture until it begins to put off a slightly nutty aroma. Remove from heat and store in a container until needed. You can store it in a cool dark area, or if you have made a large amount, store in the refrigerator.

The importance of using plain flour is not evident when you make the initial product. However, depending on what you are adding it to can be very important. You do not want to use self rising flour because it already has baking powder and salt added. The baking powder is the major reason you do not want to use self rising flour for roux, as it could cause a rapid boil over when added to a product and ruin what you are cooking and potentially burn you.

When using roux, just add small pieces, about the size of a pad of butter, until you get the desired thickness. Have your product on medium high heat and stir in with a whisk. Remember, the sauce will thicken more as it cools.