Ingredients
Method
- Heat the oil in a heavy frying pan over a medium high heat until hot (~180° C). It is hot enough when a bit of flour scattered on top sizzles.
- Sprinkle 1/4 of the flour on top of the oil.
- Stir in with a long handled wooden spoon
- Mix the flour and oil into a smooth paste.
- Gradually mix in the remainder of the flour in the same way.
- Reduce the heat to medium
- Cook the roux, stirring constantly. The mix should be on a slow boil, with tiny bubbles constantly breaking. You have to cook it for at least 5 minutes, but a longer cooking time gives a stronger colour and flavour (see the table below).
Notes
1 tablespoon of roux will thicken 1 to 1 1/2 cups of liquid.
Roux should be thick - about the texture of wet concrete or plaster of Paris. Add more oil or flour until it's right.
If roux does burn it will be bitter and unusable - throw it away and start again. Burnt roux will have black dots in it.
This recipe makes one cup - sufficient for the basis of a typical main course - but you can make larger quantities and store it; just place the Roux in a bowl, cover with cling film, with the cling film touching the surface, and place in the fridge. Adapted from Kelly (1993) and Passmore (1992)
Roux should be thick - about the texture of wet concrete or plaster of Paris. Add more oil or flour until it's right.
If roux does burn it will be bitter and unusable - throw it away and start again. Burnt roux will have black dots in it.
This recipe makes one cup - sufficient for the basis of a typical main course - but you can make larger quantities and store it; just place the Roux in a bowl, cover with cling film, with the cling film touching the surface, and place in the fridge. Adapted from Kelly (1993) and Passmore (1992)