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.