Page "Cajun cuisine" Paragraph 131

* Dark roux: The Acadians inherited the roux from the French.

However, unlike the French, it is made with oil or bacon fat and more lately olive oil, and not butter, and it is used as a thickening agent, especially in gumbo and étouffée.

Preparation of a dark roux is probably the most involved or complicated procedure in Cajun cuisine, involving heating fat and flour very carefully, constantly stirring for about 15 – 45 minutes ( depending on the color of the desired product ), until the mixture has darkened in color and developed a nutty flavor.

A burnt roux renders a dish unpalatable.

The scent of a good roux is so strong that even after leaving one's house the smell of roux is still embedded in one's clothes until they are washed.

The scent is so strong and recognizable that others are able to tell if one is making a roux, and often infer that one is making a gumbo.