Basic Roux (White, Blond, Medium, and Dark) Recipe
This recipe guides you through making a basic roux, a versatile foundational mixture of flour and fat cooked to varying colors and depths of flavor. Whether you need a white, blond, peanut butter, or dark roux, this essential technique enriches sauces, soups, and stews with a rich, nutty base.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 to 60 minutes depending on roux color desired
- Total Time: 7 to 65 minutes
- Yield: Approximately 2 cups of roux 1x
- Category: Sauce Base
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: French
Ingredients
Scale
Ingredients
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 cup fat (butter, neutral oil, or bacon fat)
Instructions
- Prep: Before you start, read the notes carefully. The type and amount of fat you use will depend on what dish you are preparing.
- Whisk: In a heavy-bottomed skillet or Dutch oven, warm the fat over medium heat. Whisk in the flour gradually until the mixture is smooth and lump-free.
- Stir: Stir constantly using a whisk for lighter roux varieties to prevent clumping, or use a flat-ended wooden spoon or silicone spatula for darker roux to better scrape the pan edges and bottom.
- White Roux: Cook the roux until it is pale and the raw flour taste is gone, about 2 to 5 minutes.
- Blond Roux: Continue cooking until the mixture develops a golden blond color, approximately 5 to 10 minutes.
- Peanut Butter Roux: Cook longer, until the roux takes on a light to medium brown color resembling peanut butter, about 12 to 20 minutes.
- Dark Roux: For a deep, chocolate brown color and nutty flavor, cook the roux for 30 to 60 minutes, stirring constantly to avoid burning.
- Use: Use your roux immediately in your recipe, or let it cool before storing. Remove it from the pan so it doesn’t continue to cook and darken further.
Notes
- The fat type affects the flavor and suitability for different dishes; butter works well for creamy sauces, bacon fat adds smokiness, and neutral oils are adaptable.
- Constant stirring is crucial to prevent the roux from burning, especially for darker versions.
- Cooking times vary depending on desired color: lighter roux cooks faster, darker roux takes longer and requires patience.
- You can store cooled roux in the refrigerator for future use; allow it to come to room temperature before adding to hot dishes.
Keywords: basic roux, white roux, blond roux, dark roux, peanut butter roux, sauce base, French cooking, thickening agent
