Content

• Ingredients
• To step
• Method 1 of 2: Make a roux
• Tips
• Warnings
• Necessities

A roux is a cooked mixture of flour and fat. You can use fat from meat, butter, margarine or other types of fat. A roux is used as a base and thickener for gumbo and other thick, flavorful soups. Read on to learn more about how to make a roux.

Ingredients

• 1 cup of flour
• 1 cup fat (such as pork or chicken dripping fat, butter, margarine, lard, or oil)

To step

Method 1 of 2: Make a roux

1. Ready.

Tips

• Roux is usually fairly bland. The darker it is, the smokier the taste.
• If you have black specks floating in your roux, it is burnt. It is best to start over, because your sauce may taste burnt differently.
• When the roux starts to smoke, it burns. You will notice a change in the appearance of the roux as soon as it starts to burn, it will quickly become much thicker and start to stick to the pan. Don't let it get darker than milk chocolate.
• If your soup or sauce is too thick, you can add a few cups of water or stock to dilute it.

Warnings

• Make sure you don't get a hot roux on you. It can cause third degree burns because it is sticky and very hot.
• If you're using a nonstick pan, don't use metal utensils to stir your roux. It leaves scratches in the non-stick coating and irreparably damages your pan.

Necessities

• a wooden spoon or a metal whisk
• a cast iron or stainless steel skillet