Gumbo Base Aka Roux
A roux is the base of numerous cajun and creole dishes. In louisiana, natives have a joke about how long it takes to make the roux for certain dishes. Etouffee is usually a 1 beer roux while a full fledged gumbo is a 2 to 3 beer roux. Obviously meaning how long it takes to drink the beer. The cook time will vary depending on how dark you want your gravy. Note: the measurements i used are normally what i make for a sunday pot of gumbo, southern style. That means it makes a lot! You may want to only use half for normal people!
Steps
Melt butter in a heavy bottomed skillet over medium to medium high heat.
Slowly sprinkle in the flour a little at a time , stirring constantly.
Continue to stir constantly.
Do not walk away !.
If you burn it even the tiniest bit , it is unusable.
You will notice the flour beginning to brown.
The darker the flour , the darker the gravy.
For gumbo , when the roux reaches a deep dark chocolate brown color it is done.
At that point you would add your seasonings , such as onion , garlic , bell pepper and celery.
You can make this ahead of time and keep tightly covered in the frige or freezer.
Ingredients
flour, butter