[IveyLeaguer]

Instead of butter, will Olive Oil work as a substitute when making sauces or roux, flavor aside?

[ChefTorrie]

The Traditional French way to make a roux is with butter, but all it really is are equal parts fat and flour, so yes it would work. But it is worth it to use butter, for me at least.

[Steve A]

If you're going to do that, 86 the EVOO and go with regular oil. Using extra virgin would be a waste of flavor and it'd be lost in the process.

Ciao,

[IveyLeaguer]

Originally Posted by ChefTorrie

The Traditional French way to make a roux is with butter, but all it really is are equal parts fat and flour, so yes it would work. But it is worth it to use butter, for me at least.

It will? Like making a roux for French Onion soup and with sauce recipes as well? That's great. I plan to flavor the EVOO with garlic and seasoning salt. That combination works great with toasted or grilled bread instead of butter and the flavor is in the neighborhood, anyway.

[cakerookie]

Butter there for flavor your oil is there because it lessens the chances of your butter burning. I agree with SteveA 86 the EVOO and use regular oil.

Rgds Rook

[ChefTorrie]

I agree... I just personally like butter, but I have used EVOO and regular oil and they have worked just fine... When I worked in Boston (YEARS AGO!!!) for very delicate dishes we used a gee.

[ChefTorrie]

If you want... Cut the butter with oil... That way u can have the butter flavor and the smoking point will increase.

[phatch]

Originally Posted by cakerookie

Butter there for flavor your oil is there because it lessens the chances of your butter burning.
Rgds Rook

Harold McGee says:

Let the bugging end: olive oil does not raise the smoke point of butter! The milk solids begin to brown and then burn at exactly the same temperatures.

smoke points

Phil

[Mikeb]

Why even use roux to make a sauce anyway? (theres a reason restaurants no longer do this) If you need a thickener just use a little starch slurry (corn, potato, arrowroot, etc...) to finish. You can also make a vegetable purée and add it to your sauce to finish - thickens as well as adds flavour.

[ChefTorrie]

Roux is the traditional way to do it and that is the way some people do it... I often use rouxs, but I also use cornstarch and arrowroot alot... It depends on what I am doing.

As for Harold McGee, I am not going to start an arguement, but it is my belief that olive oil will burn slower than butter becuase of the milk solids, it is impossible for them to burn at the same exact time, if it were a gee or clarified butter, it would be a different story.

[kuan]

Here's a different perspective. Heat olive oil to 400F. Add butter. The butter will burn.

[cakerookie]

Whoa! Wait a minute fellas I did not say it would not burn I just said lessens the chances and Phatch your reference to Harold Mcgees book is a good one going to have to read up on what he says thanks.

Rgds Rook

[kuan]

Butter solids burn at a certain temp. Once that temp is reached, it will burn. If you heat 1c butter in a pan it will burn at a certain temp. If you put 1T of butter in 1c of EVOO that butter will burn when that same temp is reached.

Everything burns at a certain temp unless dissolved in water.

[ChefTorrie]

Im sorry, my mistake, totally my fault and I apologize... I thought that you were saying butter burns at the same temperature as evoo, not that the butter will burn no matter if it is in oil or not... my apologies again.

[diane]

I am inclined to butter only, longer, slower perhaps, but what a happy outcome. Evoo has its place, obviously, but butter wins, pat down.