Reduce – seventy percent of the fat in Roux

I have been making soups and sauces for over 30 years, and as anyone who makes soups and sauces knows this is very important to get the right thickness, (to thick and it tastes like eating glue), (to thin and it is like tasting dish water).

If you are like me, you use Roux to thicken soups and sauces. Now the most common roux that I use is equal amounts of flour and butter cooked to the desired color.
I like the body, richness, creamy texture and the yuuummm or ooohhh factor that roux gives to what you are making. More so then using food starch or corn starch.
It just doesn’t taste the same.
Now I know that people now a days are looking to eat less fat in there diet so people will tend to use food or corn starch in there soups and sauces as a thickener to reduce the amount of fat.
Well here is a way to reduce the fat and still get the rich, creamy texture you get from roux. It’s called a White Wash.(no not to paint your fence with) this is an easy way to thicken your soups and sauces with a lot less fat.

Take all- purpose or wheat flour pour it into a oven safe pan and you roast it in a 400 degree oven checking and stirring with a whip (to mix evenly) often until the whole patch is a nice golden brown or blond in color.What you are doing is cooking the gluten in the flour.
If it gets burnt in any way  do not use it, throw it away and start again. If you mix in any burnt flour the whole batch will taste burnt, so don’t ruin the soup, sauce or dish for the price of a little flour. Now when you get the right color, remove from oven and get it out of the hot pan or it will keep cooking and possibly burn. I use a plastic container that has a lid to store for future use.(out of the frig.)

Mix your cooked flour with enough water so it will pour easily, Then pour the mixture threw a fine strainer to remove any lumps. (It will take a little more then normal roux).  Slowly  adding to your soup or sauce (witch should be hot) while stirring .
As you  are adding the white wash let your soup or sauce simmer before adding more to get the right thickness. To much to fast will thicken to much and make lumps. If done properly you will have a rich and creamy thickened soup or sauce with a lot less fat.

Tags: Blog, Sauces, Soups