i have a burning question!!!!

[tiddlywinks]

no pun intended

well--sort of. How dark should a roux be...i've read it varies depending on taste.
light brown -dark brown-- getting red-- dark red , etc....

i'd hate to waste a perfectly good roux

(it's for semi-homemade gumbo)

[Stinky The Clown]

1. The color of the roux is related to what you want to do with it.

Roux is a real, legitimate roux whether it is white or very dark brown.

Roux is a very simple mixture of fat and flour. You need to minimally cook it enough to lose the raw flour taste. That's probably 5 minutes or so. The roux will still be white (actually eeeever so slightly golden). This is right for cream sauces or anything in which you want the roux to be simply a thickener. A white roux has no coloration affect and pretty much no taste affect, either.

If you cook it a little longer, it will start to get some toasty, nutty flavor (not much/**very** subtle) and go a little more golden. Let's say 10 minutes or so. This roux is good for lighter gravies, like chicken, turkey, pork, etc.

Then you can cook it darker still. The nutty flavor and the color will intensify. Use this for beef gravy.

Some Louisiana cooks (and probably others, too) like to cook the roux 45 minutes or even longer. As long as you tend it and keep the fire low and stir it often enough, it will not burn. If you scorch it, however, you'll likely ruin the whole batch as that scorched flavor is pretty pervasive. This super dark roux is used in gumbos and such.

Experiment with the roux. As long as the fire's low and you're mindful of it, stirring it often, you can get it as light or as dark as you want it to be. Just keep in mind that the color gets imparted into whatever you use it to thicken, and that the flavor intensity is proportional to the color.

[sandnsea]

2. I do mine peanut color

But as long as it still tastes good, it's fine.

[The empressof all]

3. If you are worried about it....

You just gotta taste it. If it tastes burnt you've gone too far and it needs to be tossed. I've had roux as dark as milk chocolate without a burnt taste but once it's gone there's no going back and it can't be used.

[Rabrrrrrr]

4. Anywhere from light brown to almost chocolate.