INTRODUCTION

A who? A roux (roo): the base, along with the Holy Trinity, of lots of Louisiana cuisine. It’s a thickening agent for gumbos and sauces, as well as a source of flavor content in its own right.

A roux, essentially, is a mix of flour and some kind of fat, butter or oil. We make them this way:

• Put equal parts flour and butter – 1 tablespoon to 1 tablespoon – into a good pan.

• Cook the ingredients together at medium-high heat, stirring all the while. This proto-roux will have a slightly yellow-ish, paste-like appearance.

• Stir, watch, stir. If you don’t stir enough, the roux will get too lumpy and cook unevenly.

• For light sauces, remove the roux from the heat early. For darker, smokier and/or richer sauces, you’ll often want a darker, brown roux. The longer you cook that flour and butter/oil, the darker the roux will be.

• If you’re trying to go low-fat, you could just toast flour in the oven, then thicken with a little water. The roux won’t be as rich, but your heart may thank you.

• You’ll want to make about one tablespoon of roux for every cup of sauce you plan to make.