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.Dark Cajun Roux

Source of Recipe

From "Acadiana Table" by George Graham


Recipe Introduction

"It all starts with a roux. So what's the logical starting point for making a roux? Three simple elements: oil, flour, and a heavy cast iron pot. I like the neutral taste and high smoke point of canola oil; simple, all-purpose flour is standard; and a black pot is a must. Cast iron retains heat and makes for slow and steady cooking, ideal for a roux. Along with a wooden spoon, a controllable heat source, and an hour of your life, you're good to go. But making a dark Cajun roux from scratch is a dying art. Not too many years ago, there wasn't a Cajun or Creole household in South Louisiana that didn't have the unmistakably intense aroma of a dark roux — pungent and nutty, like roasting coffee beans — wafting through the kitchen. Home cooks were taught basic roux-making skills early on, and it was a rite of passage to pass it on to the next generation. Times have changed. With the proliferation of jarred and powdered roux products, as well as packaged gumbo mixes, the art of roux making is dying off. Don't get me wrong, some prepared roux products are very good, and I use them sometimes myself. But there is no substitute for a scratch-made roux, and I believe it is the obligation — no, responsibility — of roux makers to hand down this timeless artisanal skill to their children. I know my wife has. Rox can make a roux — as deep and dark as blackstrap molasses and just as rich. My wife, Roxanne, doesn't cook every night, nor does she profess to be a culinary artisan, but she is one of the best natural cooks I know. For her roux, she follows a strict set of guidelines handed down by generations of good Cajun cooks before her. She was born and raised in the little southwest Louisiana town of Jennings, and I sometimes tease her that her grandmother's black iron pot and well-worn wooden gumbo spoon were her dowry. Truth be told, to her they are more valuable than anything money could buy. On a cold January day, she can work magic in that pot with a roux-infused chicken and sausage gumbo like none other I've tasted. A roux is the foundation on which gumbo is based. Rox's roux is nursed and nourished with a serious attention to detail that defies logic. It's as if my wife goes into a semi-lucid state of consciousness that is mesmerizing. She stirs and stirs and focuses on color, texture, and smell. For an hour, she stirs — no phone calls, no conversations, no distractions whatsoever. It goes from white, cream, beige, tan, and brown, to mahogany and beyond. There is an instinctive point of departure — a point of no return that she pushes beyond. A less brave or sure-handed cook would stop short. She has the confidence and courage to pursue that hauntingly dark depth of a rich chocolate-colored roux. Hershey bar chocolate is the terminus, and anything more is burnt and destined for the disposal. With her wooden spoon scepter in her right hand, my gumbo queen rules the kitchen."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
â—¦ 3 cups canola oil or vegetable oil


Recipe

Place the flour and oil in a large cast iron pot over medium heat. With a long-handled wooden spoon, stir. Constant stirring and moving the flour around the bottom of the pot is the key to browning the flour evenly to prevent burning. This early stage goes slowly as you begin to see the white flour take on first a beige and then a tan color.

Continue stirring slowly and evenly, scraping the bottom and the circular crevices of the pot to move the flour around in the hot oil. In about 30 minutes, you should begin to see a brown color developing and smell the first hints of toasted flour. This is when the stirring becomes even more crucial.

At this point, the least bit of inattention could result in burnt flecks of flour appearing — a sure sign you've ruined the roux. Watch your heat and lower if it the roux is cooking too fast. Constant stirring to keep the flour from staying in one place too long prevents burning. You will begin to smell an even nuttier aroma as you see the color turn darker mahogany. Most stop here, but you want to keep going until you achieve a deeper, darker chocolate-like color and the roux has the consistency of melted chocolate.

Forget time at this point. You are now cooking by instinct, sight, and smell. The utmost attention to your stirring is needed, and when you see that Hershey chocolate darkness, you will know you have arrived.

Welcome to Rox's roux. Turn off the heat, but continue stirring until it begins to cool down and quits cooking. Spoon the roux into a bowl immediately.

Makes 3 cups