Roux
Roux , also burn (s) or Schwitzmehl ( French Roux ), is a heated mixture of flour and fat that the binding of soups and sauces used. It was invented in France in the 17th century. Depending on the degree of browning, one speaks of white (roux blanc), blond (also yellow , roux blond) or brown roux (roux brun), so that the sauce bound with the roux takes on a more or less dark color. The roux is part of various basic sauces in classic cuisine such as B. the bechamel sauce .
Choice of fat
Which fat is used for the production depends on the desired taste and the recipe. Anhydrous fat, such as lard or vegetable fat, is largely suitable for both brown and blonde roux . These fats only start to burn from around 180 ° C to 220 ° C and withstand the higher temperatures when the flour is browned. For the white roux it is best to use butter or, alternatively, margarine . Due to the higher water content, the critical boiling point is lower here, around 120 ° C. Butter or margarine should be carefully heated until the fat is clear (anhydrous).
preparation
In contrast to cold flour butter , to prepare roux, the fat is melted and clarified in a saucepan or pan, the flour is added and heated (sweated) while stirring constantly. The ratio of two to three parts flour to two parts fat applies. Depending on the heating time and the water content of the fat used, the roux now loses up to approx. 10% weight. The heat breaks down the starch of the flour into dextrin and the sweat loses its floury aftertaste. This process can be recognized by a gradual change in color from yellow to white. The starch, which is digested by heating, has the increased binding capacity for the subsequently added liquid. When preparing white roux (roux blanc) , the temperature must be kept low so that the mixture does not discolour and hydrous fat does not burn. Blonde roux (roux blond) is cooked a little hotter so that it takes on a golden yellow color. The brown roux (roux brun) is heated accordingly longer.
The hot roux is filled with cold or lukewarm liquid (water, stock , stock or basic stock or milk ). To avoid the formation of lumps, it is important to add the liquid to be bound, cold or warm, all at once. So that the fat and flour particles swell (bind) evenly during the heating phase, constant stirring must now be carried out (preferably with a whisk), up to about 70 ° C. can be achieved. Now the starch gradually begins to swell and gelatinize. Continue to heat the resulting sauce or soup, stirring constantly, to almost the boiling point. The result is a velvety, lump-free sauce or soup. If the liquid is added hot, the starch immediately gelatinizes and lumps can form. Cooled roux, on the other hand, can be filled with hot (max. 60 - 70 ° C.) Liquid. It is important to stir vigorously so that the fat and flour particles can be distributed evenly in the liquid to be bound before gelatinization.
If the roux is used to bind basic broths in the preparation of sauces, it must be taken into account that the mass of the roux binds about 12 times the amount of broth. Slow cooking causes the bound base sauce to lose about another third of its liquid to intensify the flavor (e.g. 25 g of roux for 300 ml of stock results in approx. 200 ml of sauce after reduction).
Special forms
A special form of roux is possible when preparing brown sauces. The flour is dusted directly after searing the bones and vegetables. The brown roux is created by roasting the food in the fat. This approach can save work steps. It can also be used with some white sauces if, after frying, the dusted flour with onions and other additions is not sweated too hot without browning.
use
Depending on the consistency, you can make light soups or sauces in this way. The liquid and / or spice ingredients are crucial to flavor. Examples: cauliflower, mushroom or leek soup; Poultry, white wine, fish, curry, caper, dill, horseradish or mustard sauce. Mixing a roux is the first step in the preparation of the gumbo stew of American southern cuisine .
literature
- Hermann Grüner, Reinhold Metz, Michael Hummel: The young cook. The young cook . 35th edition, Pfanneberg, Haan-Gruiten 2013, ISBN 978-3-8057-0675-9 .
- Hervé This-Benckhard : Riddles and secrets of the art of cooking: scientifically explained (original title: Les secrets de la casserole . Éditions Belin, Paris 1993, ISBN 2-7011-1585-X , translated by Ilse Rothfuss and Rainer Zolk), 14th edition, Piper TB 30421, Munich / Zurich 2014, ISBN 978-3-492-23458-0 .
Web links
footnote
- ↑ dumonts little lexicon Sauces & Dips; Page 9