Basic Roux (White, Blond, Medium, and Dark) Recipe
This recipe teaches you how to make a basic roux, a versatile cooked mixture of flour and fat used as a thickening agent in sauces, soups, and stews. Depending on the cooking time and heat, you can create white, blond, medium (peanut butter colored), or dark roux to add varying flavors and colors to your dishes.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 to 60 minutes depending on roux color
- Total Time: 7 to 65 minutes
- Yield: About 1 to 1.5 cups 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
- Prep: Before starting, read the notes carefully to choose the appropriate fat and amount based on your intended dish.
- Whisk: In a heavy-bottomed skillet or Dutch oven, warm the fat over medium heat. Whisk in the flour until the mixture is smooth and well combined.
- Stir: Stir constantly; use a whisk for a lighter roux or a flat-ended wooden spoon or silicone spatula for a darker roux, making sure to scrape the pan’s edges and bottom to prevent burning.
- White Roux: Cook the mixture for 2–5 minutes until it is pale and the raw flour taste is gone.
- Blond Roux: Continue cooking until the roux turns a golden blond color, approximately 5–10 minutes.
- Peanut Butter Roux: Cook further until the roux develops a light to medium brown color similar to peanut butter, about 12–20 minutes.
- Dark Roux: Cook the roux until it reaches a dark chocolate brown color, which takes around 30–60 minutes.
- Use: Use the roux immediately in your recipe or let it cool before storing. Remove it from the pan to stop the cooking process and prevent further darkening.
Notes
- The choice of fat affects flavor: butter yields a richer taste, neutral oil is more neutral, and bacon fat adds smokiness.
- Constant stirring is essential to avoid burning and to achieve even coloring.
- Darker roux have a more intense flavor but less thickening power compared to lighter roux.
- Remove the roux from heat once the desired color is reached to prevent it from burning or becoming too dark.
- Store cooled roux in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Keywords: roux, white roux, blond roux, dark roux, sauce thickener, French cooking, basic roux, how to make roux
