Why did this roux fail?
I needed to make gumbo for someone with a gluten allergy, so I used glutinous rice flour in the roux instead of wheat flour. At first it looked ok:
click any image for full size
When I added the "trinity," though, this happened:
Basically, the roux split, and the rice flour formed disgusting blackened clumps. Here's a close-up:
Yeah, I didn't like looking at that either. I tried again with tapioca flour, and that did work, but I'm still wondering why that happened with the rice flour. Could it have been some kind of thermal shock when the veggies went in? Or maybe a reaction to some chemical in the onion?
Best Answer
After the starches are cooked with oil, and you added the vegetables, as the vegetables cooked they would have released moisture, which the starch absorbed and caused the formation of the lumps (like miniature dough-boys).
Some tips to prevent this from happening:
- make the roux and sweat the vegetables separately
- allow the roux to cool (off the heat) so when it is used then the absorption is less intense, you can increase the heat after the roux has had some amount of liquid to it. traditionally it is thickened continually while adding liquid but the cheating method is to leave the roux cool and add all the liquid, then keep stirring (to prevent sticking to the bottom) while over high heat and until the mixture comes to a simmer
- if browned colour or freezing (leftovers) is not required then consider using mashed potatoes, mashed potato flour (NOT potato starch) or plain rice instead.
- avoid glutinous rice starch, potato starch, and tapioca starch for roux. the end product is not as good mouthfeel as other starches, and they can make the mixture like glue/slime.
Pictures about "Why did this roux fail?"
Quick Answer about "Why did this roux fail?"
Too much flour and your sauce will be too thick. Too much fat and it won't be thick enough. The ratio will depend on what you want to use your roux for, but the classic roux for thickening sauces is a one-to-one ratio of flour and butter.Why did my roux separate?
If your oil is separating out then your roux didn't have enough thickening power. The flour loses its thickening power the longer you cook the roux. To make up for this loss you can add some additional raw flour after your roux has achieved a deep copper brown.How do you fix a broken roux?
Use a teaspoon or two of whatever liquid you've used as a base (like water, wine, or vinegar) and whisk vigorously. The sauce should tighten up in a few seconds and the fat droplets will get suspended back into the emulsion.How do you keep a roux from being lumpy?
\u201cCook out\u201d the roux for 2-3 minutes on very low heat to avoid a raw flour taste. When combining the roux with liquids, it is important that the liquids are not too hot. It is better if they are warm to moderately hot as this helps to avoid lumps. Gradually add the liquid a little at a time, stirring constantly.How can you tell if roux is burned?
The key to good roux is to watch it carefully and whisk it almost constantly (if black specs appear, your roux has burned, and you should start over).Why has business advocacy FAILED? | Piet le Roux \u0026 Russell Lamberti
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Nathan Cowley, Andrea Piacquadio, Anete Lusina, Anete Lusina