Makes: 5 litres
Ingredients:
450 g butter (white and fawn roux)
450 g flour (white and fawn roux)
300 g dripping or other cooking fat (brown roux)
350 g flour (brown roux)
Method:
(1) Melt the fat in a deep saucepan.
(2) Stir in the flour with a wooden spatula.
(3) Cook over a gentle heat to the required stage.
Notes:
(1) Margarine may be used in place of butter when making white or fawn roux as appropriate.
(2) The colour of the roux depends on the length of time it is cooked and, of course, the degree of heat applied.
(3) All roux may be cooked either on top of the cooker or in an oven, the latter being preferred because of the all round even temperature.
(4) Whichever cooking method is applied, roux need to be stirred from time to time, especially when preparing a third stage roux which, because of the colour required, takes longer to cook.
Assessment of the completed roux:
(1) First stage (white) roux — When cooked should be a light sandy texture without coloration.
(2) Second stage (fawn) roux — When cooked should be fawn in colour as the name suggests, and sandy in texture.
(3) Third stage (brown) roux – becomes thinner as it cooks to the required color of brown.
Correcting the consistency:
It is important at this stage to rectify the consistency if necessary. A roux that is too soft could result in less than the desired amount of sauce, or excess fat could rise to the surface whilst cooking. Extra flour may be added to compensate.
A roux that is too hard either as a result of too little fat or too much flour will result in a lumpy sauce. In this case more fat may be added.
Overcooking the roux or subjecting it to a long slow heat will have the effect of drying out the roux without necessarily coloring it. The roux will become difficult to incorporate into a liquid and usually results in a lumpy sauce.