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'{{Other uses}} {{Refimprove|date=December 2009}} [[File:Roux bianco.JPG|thumb|A white roux]] [[File:Thickening.jpg|250px|thumb|A roux-based sauce]] '''Roux''' {{IPAc-en|ˈ|r|uː}} is [[flour]] and [[fat]] cooked together and used to thicken [[sauce]]s. The fat is [[butter]] in [[French cuisine]], but may be [[lard]] or [[vegetable oil]] in other cuisines. The roux is used in three of the [[mother sauce]]s of [[Cuisine classique|classical French cooking]]: [[béchamel sauce]], [[velouté sauce]], and [[espagnole sauce]]. [[Clarified butter]], [[vegetable oil]]s, bacon drippings or [[lard]] are commonly used fats. It is used as a thickener for [[gravy]], other [[sauce]]s, [[soup]]s and [[stew]]s. It is typically made from equal parts of flour and fat by weight.<ref>{{cite book|last=Berolzheimer|first=Ruth|title=The American Woman's Cook Book|publisher=Garden City Publishing|location=New York|year=1942|page=307}}</ref> In [[Cajun cuisine]], roux is made with bacon fat or oil instead of butter and dark brown in color, which lends much richness of flavor, albeit less thickening power. [[Central European cuisine]] uses lard (in its [[Rendering (food processing)|rendered]] form) or more recently vegetable oil instead of butter for the preparation of roux (which is called ''zápražka'' in [[Slovak language|Slovak]], ''jíška'' in [[Czech language|Czech]], ''zasmażka'' in [[Polish language|Polish]], ''zaprška'' in Bosnian, Croatian, and Serbian, "zaprazhka" or "запръжка" in [[Bulgarian language|Bulgarian]], ''rántás'' in [[Hungarian language|Hungarian]] and ''Mehlschwitze'' in [[German language|German]]). Further, [[Japanese curry|Japanese Curry]], or {{nihongo||カレー|karē|}}, is made from a roux made by frying yellow-curry powder, butter or oil, and flour together. The French term ''roux'' has become a loan-word in Japanese, ''rū'' (ルー), or more specifically {{nihongo|''karērū''|カレールー|curry roux}}. Roux (''meyane''<ref>http://www.tdk.gov.tr/index.php?option=com_gts&kelime=MEYANE</ref>) has been used in [[Ottoman cuisine|Ottoman]] and [[Turkish cuisine|Turkish]] cuisine since at least the 15th century.<ref name="Şirvânî2005">{{cite book|author=Muhammed bin Mahmûd-ı Şirvânî|title=15. yüzyıl Osmanlı mutfağı|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=hc7gAAAAMAAJ|year=2005|publisher=Gökkubbe|isbn=978-975-6223-84-0}}</ref> ==Methods== The fat is heated in a pot or pan, melting it if necessary. Then the flour is added. The mixture is 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 over the heat and its intended use. The end result is a thickening and flavoring agent. Roux is most often made with butter as the fat base, but it may be made with any edible fat. In the case of meat gravies, fat rendered from meat is often used. In regional [[Cuisine of the United States|American cuisine]], [[bacon]] is sometimes rendered to produce fat to use in the roux. If clarified butter is not available, vegetable oil is often used when producing dark roux, as it does not burn at high temperatures, as whole butter does. ==Adding liquids to create a sauce== When combining roux with water-based liquids, such as broth or milk, many authorities assert it is important that these liquids are not excessively hot. It is preferable to add room temperature or warm roux to a moderately hot liquid, or vice versa, to avoid lumps. They should be added in small quantities while stirring, some authorities suggest a very brief boil. Conversely, some authorities suggest that the combined mixture will never be lumpy if the roux itself is correctly made. ==Types== Light (or "white") roux provides little flavor other than a characteristic richness to a dish, and is used in French cooking and some [[gravy|gravies]] or [[pastry|pastries]] throughout the world. Darker roux are cooked longer, and add a distinct nutty flavor to a dish. They may be called "blond", "peanut-butter", "brown" or "chocolate" roux depending on their color. [[Swabia]]n (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. Dark roux is often made with vegetable oils, which have a higher [[smoke point]] than butter, and are used in [[Cajun cuisine|Cajun]] and [[Creole cuisine]] for [[gumbo]]s and [[stew]]s. 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.<ref>{{cite episode|title=Gravy Confidential|series=Good Eats|serieslink=Good Eats|airdate=1999-08-25|network=[[Food Network]]|season=1|number=108|credits=[[Alton Brown]]|transcript=(transcript)|transcripturl=http://www.goodeatsfanpage.com/Season1/Gravy/GravyTranscript.htm}}</ref> [[File:Staka Souda Bay.jpg|175px|thumb|A dish of ''staka'' served as part of a ''meze'', Souda, Crete.]] ===Cretan staka=== '''''Staka''''' (στάκα) is a type of roux particular to [[Cretan cuisine]]. It is prepared by cooking [[goat milk]] cream over a low flame with [[wheat flour]] or [[starch]]: the [[protein]]-rich part of the [[butterfat]] coagulates with the flour or starch and forms the ''staka'' proper, which is served hot. It is generally eaten dipping bread in it, occasionally served over [[French fries]]. The fatty part separates to form ''stakovoutyro'', staka butter, which is kept for later use and has a faint cheesy flavor. Staka butter is used in Cretan [[pilaf]] (''piláfi''), commonly served at weddings. ==Alternatives== Cooks can substitute for roux by adding a mixture of water and wheat flour to a dish that needs thickening, since the heat of boiling water will release the starch from the flour; however, this temperature is not high enough to eliminate the floury taste. A mixture of water and flour used in this way is colloquially known as “cowboy roux”, and in modern cuisine it is called a white wash, but is used infrequently since it imparts a flavor to the finished dish that a traditional [[haute cuisine]] chef would consider unacceptable. Cornflour (known as cornstarch in the United States) can be used instead of wheat flour, as less is needed to thicken, it imparts less of the raw flour taste, and it also makes the final sauce more shiny. As an alternative to roux, which is high in fat and very energy-dense, some Creole chefs have experimented with toasting flour without oil in a hot pan as an addition to [[gumbo]]. [[Cornstarch]] mixed with water (slurry), [[arrowroot]], and other agents can be used in place of roux as well. These items do not contribute to the flavor of a dish, and are used solely for thickening liquids. More recently, many chefs have turned to a group of naturally occurring chemicals known as [[Colloids#Hydrocolloids|hydrocolloids]]. In addition to being flavorless and possessing the ability to act as a [[thickening agent]], the resulting texture is thought by some to be superior,{{citation needed|date=February 2012}} and only a small amount is required for the desired effect. ==See also== {{Portal|Food}} {{colbegin||18em}} *[[French cuisine]] *[[Mother sauce]] *[[Cajun cuisine]] *[[Etouffee]] *[[Gumbo]] *[[Beurre manié]] *[[Chowder]] {{colend}} ==References== {{Reflist}} ==Further reading== * {{cite book|last1=Folse|first1=John D.|authorlink1=John Folse|title=The Encyclopedia of Cajun & Creole Cuisine|date=2004|publisher=Chef John Folse & Co. Pub.|location=Gonzales, LA|isbn=0-9704457-1-7}} Troubleshooting roux (p. 130) Oil-based roux (pp. 130-131), Butter roux: the classical and Creole roux (pp. 132-133). Includes color illustrations and recipes. * {{cite journal|last1=Wuerthner|first1=Terri Pischoff|title=First You Make a Roux|journal=Gastronomica|date=November 2006|volume=6|issue=4|pages=64–68|doi=10.1525/gfc.2006.6.4.64|url=http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1525/gfc.2006.6.4.64}} Distinguishes history of classical French, Creole, and Cajun varieties of roux, with color illustrations of blond, peanut butter, and chocolate roux and detailed oil-based recipe, variations of proportions, chemistry, and storage techniques. Definitive. {{cookbook}} {{Wiktionary}} {{Cajun cuisine}} [[Category:Edible thickening agents]] [[Category:Culinary terms]]'