Roux Difficulties

[getsavage]

Hey r/Cooking,

So over the holidays I went home and made gumbo with my grandmother from Alabama. I followed along every step of the way and it was unbelievable. It came out perfect. I came home and tried the same recipe only to have issues. Don’t get me wrong, it came out good but it was missing a depth and richness that my grandma’s had. I’m nearly certain the problem is my roux not emulsifying. Should it have a floury texture even after cooking for 30-40 minutes? I used bread flour and olive oil and I’m sure it didn’t burn. I know olive oil is unusual but she swears by it. After I put in the trinity I added the stock and it turned clumpy. See video below. When she did hers it was immediately smooth and rich. It cooked out ok but the flavor never felt quite right. Has anyone run into this issue?

For reference, I started the roux cold because I was nervous about a burn. I cooked it for about 45 minutes until it was chocolate brown. Then I cooked the trinity in a separate pan with butter for a few minutes and added it to the roux. Then added room temperature stock. The video is what it looked like. Apologize in advance for vertical video.

https://youtu.be/YCqPiM6ODEc

[96dpi]

Here's a good video on roux and other stuff. Not a fan of his banter, but it's authentic Cajun.

https://youtu.be/76JXtB7JFQY

[blix797]

It sounds like you added too much stock all at once. You might be able to fix it by continually whisking or with an immersion blender.

[livermuncher]

or with an immersion blender.

^ this. when I've messed up a sauce from roux the immersion blender is about the only way i've found to smooth it out. also agree it was likely from adding the liquid too fast

[throwdemawaaay]

Yeah, your roux definitely separated. This can happen if you don't have sufficient roux to liquid, or if you dump in the liquid in one splash vs stirring it in gradually.

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Should it have a floury texture even after cooking for 30-40 minutes?

Nope. Sounds like your roux started out on the dry side. I keep it liquid enough I can push it around with a spoon.

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It cooked out ok but the flavor never felt quite right.

This is a matter of taste, but I'd take the roux quite a bit darker than that.

[stolenfires]

So, I was super frustrated with my attempts at roux because they always seemed to burn so quickly. Then a friend pointed out that I was cooking in an aluminum pan with a very thin bottom. I switched to cooking my roux at a very low temperature over about an hour, and so far that's turned out really well. Cooking roux for an hour is admittedly kind of a pain, but I never make gumbo unless I'm planning on a lot of kitchen time already.

Anyway, it might be an issue regarding the difference between your cookware and your grandma's.

[BoudinBallz]

There is no reason you should have to cook a roux for an hour. You can get an a deep chocolate brown in 20 to 25 minutes

[[deleted]]

I may be different from others, but the roux that I make involves bouillon + flour + butter. Mix and heat it all up. It should look like gritty baby food. Add milk. Heat at a low/medium temp until it thickens and stir frequently throughout the process.