Roux (/ruː/) is a mixture offlour andfat cooked together and used to thickensauces.[1] Roux is typically made from equal parts of flour and fat by weight.[2] The flour is added to the melted fat oroil on the stove top, blended until smooth, and cooked to the desired level ofbrownness. A roux can be white, blond (darker), or brown.Butter,bacon drippings, orlard are commonly used fats. Roux is used as athickening agent forgravy, sauces,soups, andstews. It provides the base for a dish, and other ingredients are added after the roux is complete.[3]
The fat is most oftenbutter inFrench cuisine, but may belard orvegetable oil in other cuisines. Roux is used in three of the fivemother sauces ofclassic French cooking:béchamel sauce,velouté sauce, andespagnole sauce.[4]
Roux may be made with any edible fat. For meat gravies, fat rendered from meat is often used. In regionalAmerican cuisine,bacon is sometimes rendered to produce fat to use in the roux. Ifclarified butter is not available, vegetable oil is often used when producing dark roux, since it does not burn at high temperatures, as whole butter would.
Instead of butter, inCajun cuisine roux is made with lard, oil, or drippings from meat, poultry, or bacon. It is often cooked to a medium or dark brown color, which lends considerable richness of flavor while making it thinner.[5]
Central European cuisine often usesrendered lard or, more recently, vegetable oil instead of butter for the preparation of roux.[citation needed]
Japanese currykarē (カレー) is made from a roux made by fryingyellow curry powder and flour together with butter or oil; this is calledkarērū (カレールー; curry roux).[citation needed]
Roux (meyane[6]) has been used inOttoman andTurkish cuisine since at least the 15th century.[7]
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The fat is heated in a pot or pan, melting it if necessary. Then the flour is added. The mixture is heated and stirred until the flour is incorporated, and then cooked until at least the point where a raw flour taste is no longer apparent and the desired colour has been reached. The final colour can range from nearly white to nearly black, depending on the length of time it is heated and its intended use. The result is a thickening and flavoring agent.[8][9]
Light (or "white") roux provides little flavor other than a characteristic richness to a dish, and is used in French cooking and somegravies orpastries throughout the world.[citation needed]
Darker roux is made by browning the flour in oil for a longer time and adds a distinct nutty flavor to a dish. They may be called "blond," "peanut-butter," "brown," or "chocolate" roux depending on their color. The darker the color, the richer the flavor.[10]
Swabian (southwest German) cooking uses a darker roux for its "brown broth" (braune Brühe), which, in its simplest form, consists of nothing more than lard, flour, and water, with a bay leaf and salt for seasoning.[citation needed] Dark roux is often made with vegetable oils, which have a highersmoke point than butter, and are used inCajun andCreole cuisine forgumbos andstews. The darker the roux, the less thickening power it has; a chocolate roux has about one-fourth the thickening power, by weight, of a white roux. A very dark roux, just shy of burning and turning black, has a distinctly reddish color and is sometimes referred to as "brick" roux.[11]
In Hungary, roux(rántás) is almost always made withpaprika and is the basis of several dishes, includingfőzelék (vegetable stew) and soups. It may also be prepared with onions and garlic.[12][13]
Staka (στάκα) is a type of roux particular toCretan cuisine. It is prepared by cookingsheep's milk cream over a low flame withwheat flour orstarch: theprotein-rich part of thebutterfat coagulates with the flour or starch and forms thestaka proper, which is served hot. It is generally eaten by dipping bread in it, occasionally served overFrench fries.[citation needed]
The fatty part separates to formstakovoutyro, staka butter, which is kept for later use and has a faint cheesy flavor. Staka butter is used in Cretanpilaf (piláfi), commonly served at weddings.[citation needed]
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