Roux

I've had it in my head for years that I'm going to write a cookbook.  Over the years, I have collected, written, and/or commented on recipes for people and it never seems to fail that I come back to a few solid points and a few base ingredients.  For this reason I always intended, and will still, make one of the first chapters "Roux: The Base of Good Things to Come" just because it is so true.

For those of us that each rich, unhealthy foods and for those that grew up in the Deep South, gravies are a part of life and any good gravy will start as a Roux.  There are many ways to make a gravy or sauce but fat, flour, and some form of liquid to "Fluff" it out will never fail you as long as you do it right.  For today, I want to feature a few favorites that could not happen without the God Given Gift from Heaven:  Roux.

Today's sampling are as follows:

Simple Gravy
Tomato Bisque
Alfredo

Simple Gravy

The rules for a basic roux gravy are very simple:  1 tbsp fat, 1 tbsp flour, 1 cup of liquid.  Melt fat, add flour and whisk to break up lumps, cook flour for just a minute or two and, if desired, brown flour to color needed, and liquid and quickly whisk and bring to a boil.  Salt and pepper to taste.  This will be called the "Cup Method" from here on out.  If the recipe requires 2 cups, it is the "2 Cup Method".  Ok?  Good.

Now, there are a few things to keep in mind when applying this methodology.

• The fat is a base requirement and if you use a little more, it doesn't effect much other then floating to the top when it sits for a few moments.  However, additional flour will mean additional liquid.  Too much liquid means additional flour is needed, etc.
• The flour has to be cooked for at least a short time.  If flour is added directly to a sauce or gravy, it will have a certain "Raw" flavor to it.  Taste a pinch of flour right out of the bag and you will see what I mean.  Keep in mind that browning the flour to varying degrees of brown will lessen the thickening power, which somewhat throws the above rules out the window.  
• If you're going to make roux, you may as well make a stash of it.  I always make more than I need and after the excess has cooled, I have a little jar in the fridge where I keep it.  This will keep for a very longtime in the fridge and it can always be added back to the pan to be darkened to suit your needs
• If you live in the South, you might even be able to find Roux base in a quart jar on the Grocery Shelf.
• As with any recipe, there is nothing definitive.  The will always be some need for adjustment.  A little extra liquid, maybe a bit more base, etc.  I heard a great quote recently:  To follow a recipe exactly is a guaranteed failure.  

This recipe is truly the base of very good things and, once you have it down, it's very easy to see why this is a staple is so many cultures and their foods.  Very simple things, such as:

• Use a 4 cup formula, use bacon grease as the fat, and use milk as the liquid.  Salt, Pepper, a pinch of Cayenne, and 1 lb. browned sausage and you have Sausage Gravy.
• Use a 4 cup formula, use butter as the fat, and use 3 cups milk and 1 cup vegetable broth and use as a Chowder Base
• Use a 4 cup method, use butter as the fat, and use 3 cups milk and 1 cup cream and you have a base for "Cream of Whatever" soup.

I realize this may be horribly simplistic to an experienced cook.  For me, learning about roux was something I wish I had learned early on as the applications are nearly endless.  Gumbo, Chowder, Holiday Gravies, etc. all would not exist in the absence of roux.  Last nights quick cheater dinner is a great example.......

Tomato Bisque

By the time we got home Saturday night, it had already been a full weekend.  Tired and not wanting to spend too much time over the stove I did a quick Tomato Bisque.

3 Cup Method using Butter, 2 cups Milk and 1 cup Heavy Cream

1 16 oz can Del Monte Garlic and Onion Pasta Sauce

Salt & Pepper to taste

Make the roux and boil to thicken, add the tomato sauce, bring to a simmer, salt and pepper to taste, and in the case of what I made last night, fry about 1/3 to 1/2 pack quality bacon and whiz into the bisque with a stick blender.  You might want to save some for garnish as well.  Chopped green onions adds a great fresh taste and adds texture as well.

So, you see where this is going.  The French, for as much of a pain in the ass as they have been over history, invented modern cooking and use roux as the base for 3 of the 5 "Mother Sauces", which makes it quite important in the annals of Cooking History.  The Italians figured this out as well and, in typical Italian fashion, took very simple ingredients and created one of the best known sauces in the World.

Alfredo

Often regarded as "Heart Attack on a Plate", Alfredo is the quintessential Italian sauce that stands alone with its base ingredients or can be modified with simple additions to take it to another level.

One Cup Method using butter and Heavy Cream

1 cup shredded Parmesan Cheese

Dash of Lemon Juice

Make roux and bring to a simmer.  Add lemon juice and add Parm sheds until the the desired consistency is reached.  You might have to make some adjustments with cream, cheese, etc.  The reason this recipe is so short is because it is just that simple.  Seeming complex, the real difference in Alfredo sauces is ingredients...Pure and Simple.  The best organic, farm fresh creams and butters should be used if possible.  If you follow the food scene you'll here this a lot: "Taking good ingredients and not screwing them up".  That's all your trying to accomplish.  Now, if you're not he Alfredo Purist, you might try adding the following:

• Saute some sweet onions and garlic until just slightly browned and whizzing this is with a stick blender (I usually do this in my Alfredo).
• Drop in 2-3 Portabella Mushrooms and let them simmer in the sauce for a while to extract the mushroom flavors.  Leave them in for appearance.
• If making Alfredo for seafood, gently fold in Lump Backfin Crab Meat for incredible flavor and texture.

As I sit here on a windy, Fall, Sunday afternoon, happily typing away, I try to think of how I want to close this out and I realize that there really isn't a need.  So many good things start with a little flour and butter in the bottom of a sauce pan and end up becoming someones signature.  Gina and the kids are constantly after me to make Chicken and Rice...it starts with Roux.  A stand out that is always on my catering menus is Smoked Chicken Chowder...it starts with a Roux.  So on and so forth.  Get creative and figure out a sauce that has a roux base and make it your "John Hancock".

Now, as always, I had a few glasses of wine and a shot or two while I was cooking last night which always makes for a slightly lazy Sunday.  Since I have already done something productive today and given that I have wings to do later (I already did a Blog Post on those...check it out), I think I will finish my tea and get into the leftover Tomato Bisque, which will surely be better since it is the day after.

Party Well, Eat Better

Rob