Creole cooking from New Orleans often calls for a roux. Rouxs come in different
colors - from ivory-colored to an almost black- brown. Traditionally they are
made in a small cast iron skillet. The flour is mixed into the oil and stirred
constantly until the flour is toasted.
We've found a much easier method. The roux is made in the microwave in just
10 minutes and it works really well. That's the good thing. The bad thing is
that the oil becomes extremely hot. This recipe should only be done
by an adult.
You'll need:
2/3 cup of vegetable oil
2/3 cup of white flour
Equipment:
Measuring cups
A 4 or 8-cup heat-proof measuring cup
A fork or a whisk
Oven mitts or pot holders
Adult help
Place the oil and flour in the large glass measuring cup.
Mix the oil and flour together until well blended.
Put the uncovered measuring cup in the microwave.
Cook on high for 6 minutes.
Carefully remove the measuring cup full of the hot roux from the microwave.
Oil gets much hotter than water. The roux will be a very light brown and
the surface will be bumpy. The color you want it to be is walnut colored.
Stir the lumps out and put it back in the microwave for another 2 minutes.
The roux will start to give off a nutty aroma.
When the 2 minutes are up, check the roux again. Each microwave is different
so you will have to determine if you need to cook your roux for another minute
or two.
When the roux has reached the desired color, take it out of the microwave
and stir it one last time.
