First you make the roux. Not that I need an excuse to make gumbo, but I definitely need some time. With patience, low/medium heat and lots of stirring, you’ll be rewarded!
Recipe for Roux
1 cast iron or heavy bottom pot
1 3/4 C flour
1 3/4 C Canola oil
1 cast iron or heavy bottom pot
1 3/4 C flour
1 3/4 C Canola oil
On low to medium heat, mix flour and oil until flour is incorporated into the oil. A whisk is your tool of choice here and a flat bottom one is the best. (More bottom surface area to scrape the pan.) The goal is to keep the flour moving so it browns and doesn’t burn. It requires lots of stirring and constant stirring when it starts to brown until it cools slightly.
For gumbo, I make a dark roux, but other recipes call for lighter roux. Stir your roux until it reaches the desired color. For this color roux, I cooked it for about an hour and a half. Turn off the heat and continue to stir until it cools slightly as it will continue to cook and brown from residual heat.
Enjoy and let me know what you’re cooking with roux!


Her friends call her “Southern Belle.” But with three young children, she’s called “mom” more than anything these days. Debbie started Dede’s Cajun Cuisine in the fall of 2011 after catering a Southern lunch for a funeral at her church. She knew she wanted to share her love of cooking, southern heritage, and specifically, Southern food with her friends and family. The challenge became how to juggle all of that with her first priority of being a mom. Dinner time is always that crazy part of the day when everyone is hungry and tired. Between kid activities, never-ending laundry and the day-to-day grind of life, there isn’t enough time to prepare a meal from scratch.

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