In Cajun and Creole cuisine, the roux has been raised to a new dimension
never before experienced in other forms of cooking.
Butter, lard, peanut oil, bacon fat and even duck fat have been used in
combination with flour to produce as many taste and colour variations as
there are cooks in South Louisiana.
In classical cuisine, the brown roux is used for brown sauce, the blonde
roux for veloutes and the white roux is used for bechamels.
In Creole cuisine, a brown roux is made from butter or bacon fat and is used
to thicken gumbos and stews requiring a light touch.
The Cajun dark brown roux is best made with vegetable oil.
The flour and oil are cooked together until the roux reaches a caramel
colour.
This roux has less thickening power.
Thus, the thickening capabilities of the dark roux are diminished.
The dark brown roux is the secret to traditional Cajun food because of the
richness and depth it adds to the dish.
Butter is used in classical and Creole roux's, however, the Cajuns use only
vegetable oil or lard to produce their lighter coloured roux.
Tan in appearance, these light roux's are used primarily with vegetables and
light meat dishes.
Certain gumbos are further thickened, in Bayou country, with either okra or
file powder.
THE BROWN ROUX
1/2 c butter
1/2 c flour
In a heavy bottom sauté pan, melt butter over medium high heat.
Using a wooden roux spoon, add flour, stirring constantly until flour
becomes light brown.
You must continue stirring during the cooking process, as flour will tend to
scorch as browning process proceeds.
Should black specks appear in the roux, discard and begin again.
This volume of roux will thicken three cups of stock to sauce consistency.
THE BLONDE BUTTER ROUX
1/2 c butter
1/2 c flour
In a heavy bottom saute pan, melt butter over medium high heat.
Proceed exactly as in the brown roux recipe, however, only cook to the pale
gold state.
This roux is popular in Creole cooking and will thicken three cups of stock
to a sauce consistency.
THE WHITE BUTTER ROUX
1/2 c butter
1/2 c flour
In a heavy bottom sauté pan, melt butter over medium high heat.
Proceed exactly as in the blonde roux recipe, however, only cook until the
flour and butter are well blended and bubbly.
Do not brown.
This classical style roux is popular in Creole cooking and will thicken
three cups of stock to a sauce consistency.
THE CREOLE ROUX
The Creole roux can be made with lightly salted butter, bacon drippings or
lard.
As with everything regarding food in Louisiana, whenever someone attempts to
reduce this wealth of food lore to written material, an argument breaks out.
Let's just say that Creole roux's vary in colour the same as Classical and
Cajun ones.
The Creoles, however, did have butter in their pantry, but any butter a
Cajun had would be saved for a biscuit or cornbread and never put in the
black iron pot for a roux.
If a comparison statement can be made, it would be that generally speaking,
Creole roux is darker in colour than the classical French brown roux it
descended from but not as dark as the Cajun dark roux.
THE LIGHT BROWN CAJUN ROUX
1/2 c oil
1/2 c flour
In a black iron pot or skillet, heat the oil over medium high heat to
approximately 300 F.
Using a wooden roux spoon, slowly add the flour, stirring constantly until
the roux is peanut butter in colour, approximately two minutes.
Roux is normally used to thicken vegetable dishes such as corn maque
choux (shrimp, corn and tomato stew) or butter beans with ham.
If using this roux to thicken an etouffee, it will thicken approximately two
quarts of liquid.
If used to thicken seafood gumbo, it will thicken approximately two and a
half quarts of stock.
THE DARK BROWN CAJUN ROUX
1 c oil
1/2 c flour
Proceed as you would in the light brown Cajun roux recipe but continue
cooking until the roux is the colour of a light caramel.
This roux should almost be twice as dark as the light brown roux but not as
dark as chocolate.
You should remember that the darker the roux gets, the less thickening power
it holds and the roux tends to become bitter.
This roux is used most often in sauce piquantes, craw fish bisque's and
gumbos.
However, it is perfectly normal to use the dark brown roux in any dish in
Cajun cooking.
This roux gives food such a rich character that I sometimes make shrimp and
corn bisque with it, as well as a river road seafood gumbo that will knock
your socks off. Slow cooking is essential to achieve that dark, rich colour.
Some time ago, I was discussing the origin of the dark roux. I've always
contended that because the Cajuns cooked in black iron pots over open fires
using lard as a base, the dark roux was discovered by accident when the fire
got too hot and the flour over-browned. With their lean pantries in mind,
the Cajuns kept the roux instead of discarding it.
They enjoyed the flavor and kept doing it that way.
Properly done, the dark Cajun roux enriches food with colour and flavor that
is so fantastic it could only be Cajun.
Table of Sauce and Soup Consistencies
Using The Roux of Cajun and Creole Cooking
THE BUTTER BASE ROUX'S
THE CLASSICAL & CREOLE ROUX'S
1 cup butter
1 cup flour
This recipe will thicken the following:
6 c stock to a thick white sauce consistency.
8 c stock to a concentrated soup consistency.
10 c stock to a thick soup consistency.
12 c stock to a perfect Louisiana gumbo consistency.
14 c stock to a light gumbo consistency.
THE OIL BASE ROUX'S
THE CAJUN ROUX'S
1 c vegetable oil
1 c flour
Cooked at 300 F three to five minutes, this recipe will thicken the following:
6 c stock to a thick brown sauce consistency.
8 c stock to a thick gumbo consistency.
10 c stock to a perfect Louisiana gumbo consistency.
12 c stock to a light gumbo consistency.
It should be noted that the butter or oil base roux's may be made well in
advance, cooled, separated into half cup portions and placed in the
refrigerator or freezer.
The roux will keep well for months and always be available to you should an
emergency arise.
