Quote:
Originally Posted by bigsimp  Well ok. Do you know what Roux is and how to make it? Do you know the three stages of Roux? Do you know the 5 classic mother sauces? Do you know why you deglaze tha pan and what is it you are getting off the bottom? Do you know the different cats of veggies?
These are a few questions I have found that chefs want you to know. Also yes you may know these things but cun you do them. |
"Textbook" answers are:
I have made variants of those sauces inadvertently, however, would need time honing them to say that I "know how to make them"..
Roux is a mixture of wheat flour and fat. It is the basis of three of the mother sauces of classical French cooking: Sauce béchamel, Sauce velouté, and Sauce Espagnole. Butter, vegetable oils, or lard are common fats used. It is used as a base for gravy, other sauces, soufflés, soups and stews.
Light (or "white") roux provides little flavor other than a characteristic richness to a dish, and is used in French cooking and some gravies or pastries throughout the world. For example, classic Swabian (southwest German) cooking uses a darker roux for its "brown broth" (braune Brühe), which, in its simplest form, consists of nothing more than lard, flour, and water, with a bay leaf and salt for seasoning. Darker roux, sometimes referred to as "blond", "peanut-butter", or "chocolate" roux depending on the color achieved, add a distinct nutty flavor to a dish, are often made with vegetable oils, as oil has a higher burning point than butter, and are used in Cajun and Creole cuisine for gumbos and stews. The darker the roux, the less thickening power it has; a chocolate roux has about one-fourth the thickening power, by weight, of a white roux. A very dark roux, just shy of burning and turning black, has a distinctly reddish color and is sometimes referred to as "brick" roux.
I deglaze to get the fonds off the bottom of the pan to help enrich the ensuing sauce with flavor.