Definition of the day: ROUX

Dummy terms: Over high heat QUICKLY whisk together butter and flour till mixture turns light gold, add liquid to mixture and whisk until dissolved and bubbling, reduce heat and allow to thicken.

FANCY PANTS TERMS:

Roux (pronounced like the English word "rue") is a mixture of wheat flour and fat. It is the basis of three of the mother sauces of classical French cooking: Sauce béchamel, Sauce velouté, and Sauce Espagnole. Butter, vegetable oils, or lard are common fats used. It is used as a base for gravy, other sauces, soufflés, soups and stews.

The mixture is cooked by stirring over heat in a pot or pan. The fat is heated first, in the process 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. The end result is a thickening and flavoring agent. The final results can range from the nearly white to the nearly black, depending on the length of time it is over the heat, and its intended use.

Roux is most often made with butter as the fat base. However, it may be made with any edible fat. In the case of meat gravies, they are often made with rendered fat from the meat. In traditional American cookery, bacon is sometimes fried to produce fat to use in the roux.

Cooks can cheat by adding a mixture of water and wheat flour to a dish which needs thickening since the heat of boiling water will still release the starch, 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.

Dummy terms: Over high heat QUICKLY whisk together butter and flour till mixture turns light gold, add liquid to mixture and whisk until dissolved and bubbling, reduce heat and allow to thicken.

VARIATION: If you are gluten intolerant you can simply mix cornstarch with cold liquid, water, or broth and then heat to boiling. You will achieve the same thickness of a roux with out the added rich flavor of the butter and flour.