Between my completion of Culinary School and now, I've made Roux a handful of times. I'll use it in Cajun dishes, but other than that, who has time for it? I prefer cornstarch slurries.

Different results. I almost never use cornstarch - the texture and consistency of the food gets weird. For bigger dishes I use roux. Generally just make a reduction.

I never use cornstarch and it's been years since I used a roux. I don't see the need for them. I can thicken sauces a bit by reduction and something like a lobster bisque can be just fine without thickening agents.

My mother made the best Gumbo and many years passed before she told me she "cheated" with her Roux. She used Toney Chachere's Creole Roux Mix. So,when I want a brown gravy or gumbo roux, I sear whatever meat I'm cooking I sear in a small bit of Canola oil, take the meat out, add chopping seasoning(sweet onion, italian flat leaf parsley and celery*) to the pan, let the swear, add roux mix a little at a time whisking util it is thick like a homemade roux, add wares slowly whisking until I get the right consistancy( a little more watery than you want the final gravey to look like, due to water evaporating when cooking in the oven) . *I somtimes add fresh sage and thyme it the seasoning.I have a kitchen window sill herb garden. I also put a few bay leaves then pour it over the roast,or chicken which is in a covered roater and rost in the oven for about 15 minutes per pound. And you will have the best roasted meats. I rub the Toney Chachere's seasonongs on my meat before I sear all sides. Don't over season with the Tony chachere seasonong or the food will be salty. Less is always better, you can always adjust, but it's hard to remove. If that happend you can cut up a potato and it helps acsorb the salt. So, standing over the stove making a roux that is the color of a copper penny as we say in New Orleans has been a thing of the past for me, I cheat too! If I have misspelled words excuse me; I'm on meds for my asthma and I slept 2.5 hours last night. It hipes me up, I guess to open up my lungs to breath. The website to order this poduct if you want to "cheat" is

www.tonychachere.com

What you describe sounds a bit like "dry roux."

Recently I made Lemon Chicken with Sour Cream Sauce from Lee Bailey's "The Way I Cook," a fabulous cookbook. Bailey's recipe calls for "dry roux," which is simply browned flour, or roux without the fat. He points out that it's very handy and can keep for months in a sealed jar. Adding it to recipes with sufficient fat results in that nice nutty flavor associated with roux, and thickens the sauce well.

Dry roux is apparently a fairly common staple of Southern cooking -- try Googling the term "dry roux" or look it up in John Folse's incredible cookbook, "The Encyclopedia of Cajun and Creole Cuisine," at page 133 (2004 edition). Folse lists five different rouxes, including a dry roux he calls "Oil-Less Roux."

To make it, sprinkle about 1/2 cup of all purpose flour in a skillet (Bailey calls for the traditional cast iron skillet but I cheated and used a Caphalon nonstick skillet, which worked very well) that's been heated over a hot fire, and stir it now and then until it's nicely browned.

I Googled "dry roux" and found one suggestion that was helpful -- it's done when it's the color of a brown paper bag. The nonstick skillet worked well because I could flip the flour as it cooked, minimizing the need for stirring. The result was nice, and it worked well with the chicken recipe.

Here's another comment on dry or "oil-less roux" from Chuck Taggert's "The Gumbo Pages":

Now, one not-so-bad idea is the oil-less roux, pioneered by Cajun Chef Enola Prudhomme. Basically, you just dump the flour into a cast-iron skillet and toast it dry, making sure to stir it around as you would a normal roux. I've never tried this, but apparently it works rather well, and is perfect for folks who are on low-fat diets.

Taggart also has a great discussion of regular rouxes, too, and I love his comment about making roux in the microwave: "Bah, humbug!"

You are right, it is a dry roux, but it has a cajun taste built in. It is very easy to use and makes a grat gravey. Also, on that website ther are lots of cajun foods to try

quote:

Originally posted by RDCollins:
What you describe sounds a bit like "dry roux."

Recently I made Lemon Chicken with Sour Cream Sauce from Lee Bailey's "The Way I Cook," a fabulous cookbook. Bailey's recipe calls for "dry roux," which is simply browned flour, or roux without the fat. He points out that it's very handy and can keep for months in a sealed jar. Adding it to recipes with sufficient fat results in that nice nutty flavor associated with roux, and thickens the sauce well.

Dry roux is apparently a fairly common staple of Southern cooking -- try Googling the term "dry roux" or look it up in John Folse's incredible cookbook, "The Encyclopedia of Cajun and Creole Cuisine," at page 133 (2004 edition). Folse lists five different rouxes, including a dry roux he calls "Oil-Less Roux."

To make it, sprinkle about 1/2 cup of all purpose flour in a skillet (Bailey calls for the traditional cast iron skillet but I cheated and used a Caphalon nonstick skillet, which worked very well) that's been heated over a hot fire, and stir it now and then until it's nicely browned.

I Googled "dry roux" and found one suggestion that was helpful -- it's done when it's the color of a brown paper bag. The nonstick skillet worked well because I could flip the flour as it cooked, minimizing the need for stirring. The result was nice, and it worked well with the chicken recipe.

Here's another comment on dry or "oil-less roux" from Chuck Taggert's "The Gumbo Pages":

Now, one not-so-bad idea is the oil-less roux, pioneered by Cajun Chef Enola Prudhomme. Basically, you just dump the flour into a cast-iron skillet and toast it dry, making sure to stir it around as you would a normal roux. I've never tried this, but apparently it works rather well, and is perfect for folks who are on low-fat diets.

Taggart also has a great discussion of regular rouxes, too, and I love his comment about making roux in the microwave: "Bah, humbug!"

Speaking of dry roux, I had a client a few years back in Baton Rouge who made hers in her microwave.

That sounded fine until she got to the part where she once lit her kitcen on fire by not watching the flour closely enough. I think I spit iced tea through my nose.

I use roux or reduction. with cornstarch unless it is really cooked out, you will have what looks like snot.

quote:

Originally posted by Berno:
Between my completion of Culinary School and now, I've made Roux a handful of times. I'll use it in Cajun dishes, but other than that, who has time for it? I prefer cornstarch slurries.

just wondering, what culinary school did you attend?