Annual fall Roux time!

[indaswamp]

I save the fat off the top from chicken stocks, pork stocks, beef stocks, and from when I make jambalaya. I also save a little brisket fat and bacon fat too. All of this is for making the best Cajun roux on the planet! I always wondered why my grandmothers cooking was so good, then one day when I got older, I asked here for her secrets. She told me to never use vegetable fat when making a roux-always use animal fats. So I followed her advice and you know what-she knew what she was talking about!
This go around, I had 11 cups of fat saved up. so that along with about 12 cups of flour and I ended up with 5 1/2 pint jars of dark brown Cajun roux for soups, stews, gravies and gumbos this fall/winter...

 

[SecondHandSmoker]

Although my wife and I don't eat much bacon these days, when we fry some up we always save the drippings just for this reason.

 

[Gecko10]

Never heard of a roux made with veggie oil.

 

[indaswamp]

Never heard of a roux made with veggie oil.

Fairly common now... you can even find pre-made rouxs in the grocery stores-and all of them are made with some type of vegetable oil.

 

[Sowsage]

I had no idea you could make a roux ahead of time like this. Do you store in the fridge?

 

[indaswamp]

I had no idea you could make a roux ahead of time lime this. Do you store in the fridge?

No need to store in the fridge. It will not spoil because all the water has been cooked out of the flour. It has an extremely low water activity so no bacteria can grow; can be left out at room temperature. I do recommend putting in Mason jars while still very warm though. Allow to cool to about 160-180*F, then put into clean jars, screw lids on tight. It will keep for at least a year.

 

[Sowsage]

No need to store in the fridge. It will not spoil because all the water has been cooked out of the flour. It has an extremely low water activity so no bacteria can grow; can be left out at room temperature. I do recommend putting in Mason jars while still very warm though. Allow to cool to about 160-180*F, then put into clean jars, screw lids on tight. It will keep for at least a year.

Very nice. I always keep my fat from anything I cook in the cast iron to use later. Having a pre made roux would speed things up a bit for some cooks. Thanks for sharing!

 

[Hawging It]

One can learn a lot from your Mamaw . I sure did. I still remember sitting on a stool in her kitchen as a 6 year old listening and watching her cook. Man she could cook great food. Used lard in a lot of things. I miss her.

 

[mosparky]

OK, the storesge was my first question (answered) next question.
Do you keep the animal fats separate or make separate roux's with separate fats ?

 

[jcam222]

One can learn a lot from your Mamaw . I sure did. I still remember sitting on a stool in her kitchen as a 6 year old listening and watching her cook. Man she could cook great food. Used lard in a lot of things. I miss her.

I spent a lot of time watching my grandma cook. We lived at her house most my childhood. I think my love of cooking goes back to those times.

 

[jcam222]

Great idea! I really need to start saving more of my fats. Beef and chicken fat sell for a fortune if you buy it.

 

[indaswamp]

OK, the storesge was my first question (answered) next question.
Do you keep the animal fats separate or make separate roux's with separate fats ?

Nope, I add it all together inda pot and make one big roux. Usually a cajun dark brown roux which ends up being the color of milk chocolate, but you can not cook it with a fire to that color, you have to stop the heat early or you will burn the roux. when it gets to a cajun brown roux stage, cut the fire and keep stirring. The residual heat in the pot will keep cooking the flour.

 

[indaswamp]

One more thing...you have to cook this roux with the animal fats at a lower temp than if you use vegetable oil. The animal fat will smoke....which is another reason I do this once or twice a year.
Medium heat in a heavy bottom cast iron pot is good enough.
When the flour stops bubbling, most all the water has been cooked off and at that point you have a light brown cajun roux. With no more steam carrying the heat away from the pot, the temp. will now climb faster. whatever you do-do not stop stirring once it reaches this stage. Next stage is when the flour becomes clumpy, kind of like oatmeal. At that point you have a Cajun medium brown roux-good for chicken gumbos and all chicken and pork stews. Keep cooking and when the color reaches the color of a tarnished penny, you have a cajun brown roux- great for seafood gmbos, all crawfish dishes, beef stews, and most all other dishes in Cajun cooking. This is when you shut the heat off and keep stirring for a Cajun dark brown roux. When it looks like milk chocolate, and smells nutty and complex, you have a Cajun Dark brown roux.

Best to stir with a wooden spoon. If you get black specks in it, you have burnt the flour(unless you know the specks are from the bacon grease- I strain my grease thru a fine hand sieve).

 

[Hijack73]

Inda I grew up in Louisiana, and I do all of my roux in the oven now. I've only burnt one out of the last dozen or so.

Cast iron skillet, fat, flour, 350. Stir with my trusty wooden spatula about every 15 mins. Takes longer sometimes, but about 50 mins minimum. I figure the time discrepancies are just due to inconsistencies in the flour. I've had to go 375 to finish a few. Watch it close when it gets close, just like the stove top, but you've got a much longer time cushion between yummy and oh sh!^