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Started By
Message
Please help me figure out how my roux separated! (with pics)
Posted on 12/2/19 at 12:30 pm
Posted on 12/2/19 at 12:30 pm
Chefs of the F&DB, please help me figure out why my roux separated.
So this happened to me once a couple years ago and after looking stuff up, I thought it was caused by adding cold stock to a hot roux. I always used hot stock since and I've never had it happen again ...until this time.
After happening twice, I need to figure out why it occurred and figured there's no better place to do that than the F&D Board.
Roux: 1:1 Duck fat to flour
Made a dark roux
Added Veggies
Slowly added HOT stock while stirring. It looked like it was incorporating fine. Kept stirring, and as more stock was added, it started separating. I started having nightmare flashbacks from the first time this happened.
I spooned out some for a better look.
Then I tried using an immersion blender to see if that would work...it didn't. It just made it extremely gritty.
Luckily I only wasted a jar of duck fat, an hour of my time stirring, and some frozen trinity but I'm struggling to figure out how exactly this happened so it doesn't happen again.
I know there's the easy way to not deal with it again by "removing the roux from the pot, letting it cool, and adding it back to the pot like you would a jarred roux." That or just use jarred roux or dry roux made in an oven.
That's fine and all but doesn't answer the question of why it happened in the first place. Any help would be very much appreciated!
ETA:
Yes, frozen veggies were cooked for a while until they were hot and moisture was gone.
Yes.
One theory I have is that it's related to the type of fat used. The first time was with turkey fat and this time was with duck fat and both times were using the method above. I've had no issue with a turkey fat roux when I cool it down and add it to the stock later.
So this happened to me once a couple years ago and after looking stuff up, I thought it was caused by adding cold stock to a hot roux. I always used hot stock since and I've never had it happen again ...until this time.
After happening twice, I need to figure out why it occurred and figured there's no better place to do that than the F&D Board.
Roux: 1:1 Duck fat to flour
Made a dark roux
Added Veggies
Slowly added HOT stock while stirring. It looked like it was incorporating fine. Kept stirring, and as more stock was added, it started separating. I started having nightmare flashbacks from the first time this happened.
I spooned out some for a better look.
Then I tried using an immersion blender to see if that would work...it didn't. It just made it extremely gritty.
Luckily I only wasted a jar of duck fat, an hour of my time stirring, and some frozen trinity but I'm struggling to figure out how exactly this happened so it doesn't happen again.
I know there's the easy way to not deal with it again by "removing the roux from the pot, letting it cool, and adding it back to the pot like you would a jarred roux." That or just use jarred roux or dry roux made in an oven.
That's fine and all but doesn't answer the question of why it happened in the first place. Any help would be very much appreciated!
ETA:
quote:
You said frozen veggies, did you bring them back up to hot before adding stock?
Yes, frozen veggies were cooked for a while until they were hot and moisture was gone.
quote:
Did you try high heat rolling boil to see if it would re-incorporate?
Yes.
One theory I have is that it's related to the type of fat used. The first time was with turkey fat and this time was with duck fat and both times were using the method above. I've had no issue with a turkey fat roux when I cool it down and add it to the stock later.
This post was edited on 12/2/19 at 1:03 pm
19
Posted on 12/2/19 at 12:33 pm to NDA13112
You’re using too much oil
Posted on 12/2/19 at 12:36 pm to NDA13112
You said frozen veggies, did you bring them back up to hot before adding stock?
Posted on 12/2/19 at 12:38 pm to Tigerpaw123
Frozen veggies also add a lot more moisture, I would use fresh next time
Posted on 12/2/19 at 12:42 pm to Tigerpaw123
Yes, frozen veggies were cooked for a while until they were hot and moisture was gone
Posted on 12/2/19 at 12:43 pm to Cold Drink
quote:
You’re using too much oil
But shouldn't that just result in too much oil on top at the end that needs to be spooned off?
Posted on 12/2/19 at 12:51 pm to NDA13112
I have still never had this happen, and would never even know it was a thing if it were not for this board. I always use room temp stock too.
Posted on 12/2/19 at 12:51 pm to NDA13112
quote:
Slowly added HOT stock while stirring. It looked like it was incorporating fine. Kept stirring, and as more stock was added, it started separating.
Did you try high heat rolling boil to see if it would re-incorporate?
Posted on 12/2/19 at 12:53 pm to LSUTIGERTAILG8ER
Yes
Posted on 12/2/19 at 1:15 pm to NDA13112
A friend recently had this happen and a chef friend of his said it was a result of having old flour. How old is the flour you used??
Posted on 12/2/19 at 1:17 pm to NDA13112
1- How did it magically change pots? In the 1st two pics it's a red enameled cast iron pot in the 3rd it's an aluminum pot and then in the 4th is back in the red.
2- Why would you do anything with an immersion blender?
3- I think this is BS and you are trolling. Forgive me if you are and I'm just dense.
I'm not a great cook, but I cook with roux at least once a week and I've NEVER had this happen.
2- Why would you do anything with an immersion blender?
3- I think this is BS and you are trolling. Forgive me if you are and I'm just dense.
I'm not a great cook, but I cook with roux at least once a week and I've NEVER had this happen.
Posted on 12/2/19 at 1:29 pm to Stexas
quote:
1- How did it magically change pots? In the 1st two pics it's a red enameled cast iron pot in the 3rd it's an aluminum pot and then in the 4th is back in the red.
That's a small steel saucepan that I scooped some out into.
quote:
2- Why would you do anything with an immersion blender?
Because after stirring with a wooden spoon, and then whisking, the roux separated. I thought that if I could blend it together quick enough, it would reincorporate. At that point, I was trying to do anything I could to save it.
quote:
3- I think this is BS and you are trolling. Forgive me if you are and I'm just dense.
Yeah, I magically managed to separate a roux purposely and take pictures of it to troll.
I cook a ton as well and as I stated above, this is only the 2nd time it has ever happened which is why I'm trying to get to the bottom of it.
This post was edited on 12/2/19 at 1:33 pm
Posted on 12/2/19 at 1:30 pm to Trout Bandit
quote:
Old Flour
Hmm, that may actually be a good theory. I'm not sure how old the flour was since I don't use flour that often.
Posted on 12/2/19 at 1:36 pm to AlxTgr
quote:
I have still never had this happen, and would never even know it was a thing if it were not for this board. I always use room temp stock too.
I was in this boat, made over a hundred gumbos and never an issue (pour room temperature broth from the box right into the hot roux and everything). Then last year it happened, never did anything different than all my previous ones. Chalked it up to a freak occurrence, and low and behold it happened again on my very next gumbo. The only common denominator I found was the flour. I have exclusively used Gold Medal All-Purpose my whole life, but I had ran out of flour and asked a buddy to grab some on his way over. He bought Martha White, and the only two rouxs i ever made with it separated. I went back to Gold Medal on the next gumbo, haven’t had an issue since. :shrug:
Posted on 12/2/19 at 1:43 pm to Soul Gleaux
That's gotta be more than coincidence but you'd think flour is flour, ya know. I've never had one separate but will file this away.
Posted on 12/2/19 at 1:53 pm to NDA13112
quote:Not sure if that's the cause, but my flour goes into an airtight container and is said to have a shelf life of about 6-8 months.
Hmm, that may actually be a good theory. I'm not sure how old the flour was since I don't use flour that often.
Posted on 12/2/19 at 2:26 pm to NDA13112
I’ve had this happen a few times but never to that degree. I did a seafood gumbo this Saturday for the game and while I was adding hot stock to the roux it separated a bit. But after letting it simmer with the lid off for 1-1.5 hours it incorporated again and everything worked out fine. Interesting about the flour though because I believe every time its separated was when I ran out of good flour and had to use this organic flour crap my wife buys.
Posted on 12/2/19 at 2:36 pm to NDA13112
I’m not sure if flour would be it or not. My wife has celiacs and I’ve had to switch over to gluten free flour and I have never had it separate even still.
Posted on 12/2/19 at 5:04 pm to Soul Gleaux
Out of curiosity, did you use frozen or fresh veggies and did you use a vegetable oil roux or another fat?
I ask because I just had someone else give me a theory that it may be caused by the frozen veggies causing a reaction with the duck fat in the roux. I would think that if that was the case, continuing to cook the veggies down until their hot would eliminate that issue but maybe not.
I ask because I just had someone else give me a theory that it may be caused by the frozen veggies causing a reaction with the duck fat in the roux. I would think that if that was the case, continuing to cook the veggies down until their hot would eliminate that issue but maybe not.
Posted on 12/2/19 at 6:19 pm to NDA13112
I always use fresh veggies. And both times it was vegetable oil. On occasion I have used fresh lard or jarred duck fat, and never a problem (always with Gold Medal flour though). The flour was the only common variable both times. I don’t know if it was pure coincidence, or maybe a bad bag of flour if there is such a thing. Or if Martha White just does it every time 
. On both occasions I did get it to integrate, had to bring the gumbo to a raging boil and whisk it like it owed me money though.
. On both occasions I did get it to integrate, had to bring the gumbo to a raging boil and whisk it like it owed me money though.
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