ROUX

1½ c. vegetable oil or olive oil

2 c. all-purpose flour

Begin making roux by using a cast iron skillet or pot, not aluminum. Make roux by using oil in skillet or saucepan over medium heat. Once oil is hot enough that a pinch of flour sprinkled into it will slowly start to bubble, proceed to the next step.

Whisk 2 c. flour into the clarified oil until a thick rough paste forms. Whisk constantly while it bubbles over medium heat. As it cooks the roux will become smooth and begin to thin.

The white stage is reached once the flour loses its raw smell, after about 5 minutes of cooking and stirring. Although slightly grainy in texture, it is much smoother than it was at the beginning. The mixture is bubbling vigorously and the color is a little paler than when the clarified oil and flour were first combined.

After about 20 minutes of continuous cooking and stirring, the roux will reach the blonde stage. The bubbles are beginning to slow and the aroma has taken on nuances of...