Cooking Basics--Roux

A roux is a base of flour and fat used in sauces and soups as a thickening agent. It has taken me forever to figure out how to make a decent roux. So my first bit of advice is patience. The second is preserverance. The third is to try it out, because being able to throw together a sauce is a life saver when you have no canned sauces on hand.

To make a roux you need:
2 Tbs. Flour
2 Tbs. Unsalted butter
A fork
A sauce pan

First heat the pan over medium heat until it is hot or just begins to smoke. Add two tablespoons flour to the pan and let melt. Be careful to melt the butter and not burn it. Next, add the two tablespoons flour to the melted butter. Using your fork gently mash the two together until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Now, you are ready to add what you would like for a sauce or soup.

It is important to note you need equal parts flour to fat. The recipe may call for the roux to cook a bit longer until it is caramel in color.

Please keep in mind as you are creating your sauce or soup to continually stir the roux to keep the mixture smooth. You also don't want to overcook the roux, which will give the flour a grainy mouth-feel.

For my next recipe, I will post home-made mac and cheese which requires a roux.