Momomarvel

OK, we were talking flour and fat. Sorry, I thought this was a thread about making Roux, which is flour & fat. Sorry to bother you. And oh boy yes-Wondra's wonderful! Just not for roux I think. Yes flour & aqueous can give us lumps if we don't know how to incorporate it! On the topic of 'Best flour for Roux', I am hearing people talking about lumps. Lumpy roux can't happen. The flour & fat mix perfectly. Grainy roux can happen. This may be a problem of semantics. That has been a concern for me when my roux gets grainy- I have thrown out roux because of this, but learned later that the graininess goes away when you add the trinity. Graininess is not a problem of scorching or burning the roux. Can anyone else tell me about this problem? Another question I had is about burning: it is the flour that burns, correct? And the only way it can burn is if it gets too hot, right? How hot? Is there a number? And the other factor is keeping the roux moving around perfectly (stirring constantly). Btw, I prefer clarified butter (ghee) as opposed to oil. Overheated oil is very unhealthy (read trans fats) from all I've researched on this topic, and butter of course tastes better. I realize the difference in cost of course. Any thoughts anybody?

On the topic of 'Best flour for Roux', I am hearing people talking about lumps. Lumpy roux can't happen. The flour & fat mix perfectly. Grainy roux can happen. This may be a problem of semantics. That has been a concern for me when my roux gets grainy- I have thrown out roux because of this, but learned later that the graininess goes away when you add the trinity. Graininess is not a problem of scorching or burning the roux. Can anyone else tell me about this problem? Another question I had is about burning: it is the flour that burns, correct? And the only way it can burn is if it gets too hot, right? How hot? Is there a number? And the other factor is keeping the roux moving around perfectly (stirring constantly). Btw, I prefer clarified butter (ghee) as opposed to oil. Overheated oil is very unhealthy (read trans fats) from all I've researched on this topic, and butter of course tastes better. I realize the difference in cost of course. Any thoughts anybody?

Ah-so, you say "lumps"-what size? Are you referring to the graininess? If a recipe for a traditional "roux" is used, lumps won't happen becuz quantities are approx. half and half, right? Escoffier is six-to-5 I believe, & that's close enough to half and half, for this conversation. Heating butter- only til it melts, then add flour right? And stir til it's done, on whatever heat you are comfortable with, but stirring constantly. I'm talking roux for gumbo here. Right? Thank you btw!

I haven't done that one yet. I suppose that quickens the darkening process yes? How far dare I go with the cooking of the flour alone? Cuz flour will scorch. I do understand I have to keep it moving (consistently stirring). I've yet to make a good black roux - I always end up throwing it out cuz I think it's scorched. Maybe it isn't . I use roux for Gumbo. But I've not yet gotten my skills to the "black" stuff, which I'd like to learn. *Someone else use a word for that-"dextrinizing" the flour. Huh? *And Pufin3 says the process is called "clarifying the wheat starch" Do these processes have anything to do with the roux becoming grainy? (Pufin3 says proteins rise to the top. Hmm. I've never seen a scum forming on top of my roux.) The Grainy-thing -- is that the proteins coming together/ and then they disperse when you add to gumbo? (Btw, the method I use when making gumbo called for adding the Trinity to the roux directly, then building from there. It is a counterintuitive method, but one that is old as the hills-& traditional.) Dark roux is what I'm after. Has anybody created the perfect black roux? On the topic of 'Best flour for Roux', I am hearing people talking about lumps. Lumpy roux can't happen. The flour & fat mix perfectly. Grainy roux can happen. This may be a problem of semantics. That has been a concern for me when my roux gets grainy- I have thrown out roux because of this, but learned later that the graininess goes away when you add the trinity. Graininess is not a problem of scorching or burning the roux. Can anyone else tell me about this problem? Another question I had is about burning: it is the flour that burns, correct? And the only way it can burn is if it gets too hot, right? How hot? Is there a number? And the other factor is keeping the roux moving around perfectly (stirring constantly). Btw, I prefer clarified butter (ghee) as opposed to oil. Overheated oil is very unhealthy (read trans fats) from all I've researched on this topic, and butter of course tastes better. I realize the difference in cost of course. Any thoughts anybody?

On the topic of 'Best flour for Roux', I am hearing people talking about lumps. Lumpy roux can't happen. The flour & fat mix perfectly. Grainy roux can happen. This may be a problem of semantics. That has been a concern for me when my roux gets grainy- I have thrown out roux because of this, but learned later that the graininess goes away when you add the trinity. Graininess is not a problem of scorching or burning the roux. Can anyone else tell me about this problem? Another question I had is about burning: it is the flour that burns, correct? And the only way it can burn is if it gets too hot, right? How hot? Is there a number? And the other factor is keeping the roux moving around perfectly (stirring constantly). Btw, I prefer clarified butter (ghee) as opposed to oil. Overheated oil is very unhealthy (read trans fats) from all I've researched on this topic, and butter of course tastes better. I realize the difference in cost of course. Any thoughts anybody?