Clarified butter for gumbo roux
I don't have much regular butter on hand to make a roux. Is it a good idea to use clarified butter instead? What could go wrong?
Best Answer
Making your roux with clarified butter will certainly work, and work well. Clarifiying removes the milk solids, which add nutty flavor when browned. Without them, the roux would be far less likely to burn, particularly if you want a lighter roux. Whether you're going for white, blond, brown, or dark brown roux, using clarified butter should not present a problem.
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Quick Answer about "Clarified butter for gumbo roux"
Many chefs prefer to use ghee (clarified butter) as the fat, but you can use bacon grease, lard, regular butter or any other type of fat. Oils will work to create roux, but once the roux cools the oil and flour will begin to separate, therefore, it is better to use some type of fat.Can you use clarified butter for roux?
Roux can be made with any type of white wheat flour, but all-purpose flour is the most commonly used. Clarified butter is often used to prepare roux, but whole butter works just as well, and saves you a step. You can also use vegetable oil or rendered animal fat.Can I use ghee for gumbo?
The recipe for a dark roux is simple: mix fat (I prefer ghee, pure butterfat, but you can also use oil or lard) and flour in a 1:1 ratio.Why is clarified butter preferred when making a roux?
Roux is made with vegetable oil, olive oil or clarified butter. Since an oil-based roux will separate as the flour settles to the bottom, clarified butter is the preferred fat to use when making a roux for future use, as it will harden when refrigerated, trapping the flour in suspension.Can I use butter for gumbo roux?
Best Oil for a Gumbo RouxIf you are making a Creole gumbo, butter is the most traditional. It will give a delicious flavor in a blond roux. In a Cajun gumbo, you'll want to use an oil that has a neutral flavor with a high smoke point.HOW TO MAKE ROUX FOR GUMBO (STOVE TOP METHOD) |HOW TO ROAST OKRA |Cooking With Carolyn
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Answer 2
Your roux will actually be easier to cook out (getting rid of that flour-y taste) if you use clarified butter, so you can cook a very very light roux that doesn't taste like a dough ball. When I have time for the extra step, that's how I make bechamel. If my kids sniff even a trace of flour in their cheese sauce I'll be left to eat a whole lot of mac-n-cheese alone. (You want a dark roux for gumbo, but the combination is good for either light or dark. It's also common to use vegetable oil as the fat if you're making a very large quantity of gumbo or etouffee).
Now, it doesn't make sense to use clarified butter with flour with a beurre manié even if it seems like essentially the same thing. You generally finish a sauce with that to thicken it and give it that lovely sheen, and that (especially the latter) works best with whole butter, in addition to being quite a bit easier to handle.
I haven't tried using clarified butter with a beurre blanc, though. I suspect it'd work in a pinch if that's all you had, but it wouldn't occur to me to try it deliberately since it's a little odd to work to remove milk fat just to end up putting a whole lot more back in :)
Answer 3
Most chefs use clarified butter for almost everything. It is never in recipes probably because it is not common in home kitchens and a lot more expensive. Easy to make your own and then you can store in fridge for a week. Restaurant kitchens usually make a bowl for the day and then have it next to the stove where it stays liquid and easy to use.
Different types of sauce of course need different type of butter. Generally clarified butter can be used in any sauce that is using butter as a thickener; all cream (or God forbid milk) sauces made with standard butter as there would be milk protein anyway; emulsions with egg yolk are in fact better with clarified butter. The exception would be "beurre blanc": as it is a butter sauce with no other emulsifier, it uses the non-fat milk protein to help the emulsion stay together.
Happy cooking and enjoy the taste!
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