How to Thicken Stew, Soup, and Sauces with Roux | Chef Jean-Pierre, by Chef Jean-Pierre on YouTube. 10 min 8 s.
- Video length
- 10 min 8 s
- Time to do it
- 15 minutes active, plus 15 hou
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 7
What you need
Steps
Weigh your flour on a kitchen scale rather than scooping it. This keeps the butter-to-flour ratio right if you scale the batch up or down.
Preheat the oven to 250F or 121C. Put the clarified butter and flour in a saucepan.
Bring the mixture to a boil over the heat, stirring so it does not catch on the bottom.
Pour the hot mixture into a baking dish and put it in the oven for 3 hours.
Turn the oven off and leave the dish inside with the door closed for at least 12 hours.
Spoon the finished roux into a clean jar and store it in the fridge.
To thicken a dish, whisk in a small spoonful first and stir. Add more only after it has had a few seconds to work.
Tips and common mistakes
Add the roux a little at a time, since it thickens almost immediately and you cannot easily take it back out.
If your dish has no fat in it, the roux may take a few extra seconds to thicken, so keep stirring before adding more.
Store the roux in the fridge for up to 6 months and label the jar with the date.
Questions
Can I use plain butter instead of clarified butter?
Clarified butter is what the recipe calls for because it keeps far longer. Plain butter has milk solids that can burn and shorten the storage life.
Why does the roux sit in the oven overnight?
The 3 hours at 250F cooks out the raw flour taste, and the long closed-oven rest finishes it. Skipping the rest can leave a floury flavour in your sauce.
How much roux do I add to a pot of stew?
Start with about a tablespoon per cup of liquid and stir it in. Add more in small amounts until you reach the thickness you want.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
