Basic Roux (White, Blond, Medium, and Dark) Recipe
This recipe guides you through making a basic roux—a mixture of flour and fat cooked together to thicken sauces, soups, and stews. Learn how to make white, blond, medium (peanut butter), and dark roux by cooking the flour-fat mixture to different stages of color and flavor, perfect for various culinary applications.
- Prep Time: 2 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 to 60 minutes depending on desired roux color
- Total Time: 4 to 62 minutes
- Yield: Approximately 1 1/3 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
- Preparation: Before beginning, read the notes to understand how the type and amount of fat influence the roux outcome and suit your recipe.
- Whisking the Flour and Fat: In a heavy-bottomed skillet or Dutch oven, warm the fat over medium heat. Whisk in the flour gradually until you get a smooth paste with no lumps.
- Stirring the Roux: Stir the mixture constantly. Use a whisk for lighter roux versions or switch to a flat-ended wooden spoon or silicone spatula for a darker roux. Make sure to scrape the edges and bottom of the pan to prevent sticking or burning.
- Cooking White Roux: Cook the roux until it is pale and the raw flour taste has disappeared, approximately 2 to 5 minutes.
- Cooking Blond Roux: Continue cooking until the roux reaches a golden blond color, which generally takes about 5 to 10 minutes.
- Cooking Peanut Butter (Medium) Roux: For a light to medium brown color reminiscent of peanut butter, cook the roux for about 12 to 20 minutes.
- Cooking Dark Roux: Cook further until the roux develops a dark chocolate brown color; this takes about 30 to 60 minutes depending on heat and stirring consistency.
- Usage and Storage: Use the roux immediately in your recipe to thicken sauces and gravies, or remove it from the pan to cool and store. Leaving it in the pan after cooking can cause it to continue darkening.
Notes
- The type of fat used (butter, neutral oil, or bacon fat) and the amount can be adjusted depending on the final dish you are preparing.
- Stir continuously to avoid burning, especially for darker roux, which require longer cooking.
- Use a heavy-bottomed pan to ensure even heat distribution and prevent scorching.
- Remove roux from heat once desired color is reached to prevent it from cooking further and becoming too dark or bitter.
- Roux can be made in advance and stored refrigerated for several days or frozen for longer storage.
Keywords: roux, sauce base, thickener, white roux, blond roux, dark roux, medium roux, cooking fat, flour, French cooking
