is there such a thing as low carb roux?
 

i have watched every tv chef make it. i can do it too. There MUST be a lc carb alternative...anyone? And remember: you will RUE the day if you RUIN the ROUX. Love & Profits: FLATFERENGHI

Well, I will weigh in here. For some reason, outside Louisiana anyway, most people appear to think the dark, smokey roux that we create for gumbo is for "thickening". Actually, if creoles want thick gumbo, they add okra, or file (sassafras root). The roux is for flavor.. period. The flour in the this kind of roux (with an equal amount of oil) actually loses it's thickening attributes as it is slowly, carefully browned to a dark chocolate color. The darker the roux (without burning!) the richer and more flavorful is the gumbo. Butter and flour, cooked together without browning, is the type of roux used in many applications for thickening.

I posted about this a couple of years ago when I was desperate to find a flour substitute for roux. Nothing I found works. This is what I decided. Since the roux is a flavoring agent, I use flour, but as small amount as possible to still maintain flavor. Generally speaking, my gumbo serves 8-10 using 1/2 cup of flour for about 50 carbs for the total recipe plus any added by aromatics/sausage, etc. I don't eat the rice. I can work that many carbs into my diet occasionally w/o probs.

Anyway, long answer, but imo, no there is no such thing as lc cajun/creole roux. :)

thanks, slbbw!
 

that was a perfect answer. when i start making recipes requiring roux, i will keep the flour quantity to a minimum. FF

When I was still eating wheat, I could brown Carbalose or sift the shortening out of Carbquick and get a pretty good roux nutty flavor. But they have wheat, so those aren't an option for me anymore. I haven't tried a roux since going Primal/Paleo and ditching wheat. Have thought about powdering quinoa as fine as possible and seeing if one can brown that and trying it for a roux.

99% of the time when people say "roux" they are referring to thickening sauces with a mixture of fat and flour. that browned Louisiana roux is a different thing and used in only a few specialized recipes.

for thickening, you will want glucomannan, or perhaps guar or xanthan gum. they all tend to lump badly, so either mix them with oil before adding to the cooking mixture (about 50/50) or sprinkle on a LITTLE at a time and stir stir stir. You use very little compared to flour, so don't overdo.

Peggy, I also tried carbalose and carbquick. I thought the taste was pretty much horrendous. Different strokes? As for thickening, for those who prefer that, use okra. Or file. Again, different strokes. Some people put ::gasp:: tomatoes or tomato sauce in it. :hyst: I wouldn't eat it, but hey :)

Can you make a roux using coconut flour????

I've made roux using quinoa flour - not the super-dark roux of which Sharon is speaking, but the one for thickening (blonde in color) - I bet you could use the quinoa and continue cooking to that dark color though.

When I created my Chicken and Andouille Sausage Gumbo, I made a roux out of 1/4 cup light olive oil and 1/4 carbalose flour (or you could use regular flour). I made this in the microwave - much easier to do, and not as much chance of scorching the roux. I found that this amount gave the gumbo the "proper" nutty roux taste, but it didn't add to much in the way of carbs per serving. As slbbw says, since it is an occasional thing, I don't worry about the little extra bit from the flour or carbalose flour.

Here are the directions for the microwaved roux:
In a 2-cup Pyrex cup, cook olive oil and Carbalose flour for 3 minutes, stirring once or twice. Continue cooking, checking every 30 seconds, until mixture is the color of peanut butter. Be careful as it's very HOT - there's a reason this stuff is called "Cajun Napalm".

Oh, good, Char. I'll try that next etouffee I make. Appreciate your experience feedback.

My Cajun spices and veggies always drowned out any C or CQ aftertaste. :)

When I want a low carb roux I usually use a combo of glucommanan and corn starch, that way its such a small amount of corn starch per serving so it barely adds many carbs to the recipe. 1 tbsp of cornstarch has 7.4 gm of carbs, split that between 5 or 6 servings and it only adds about 1 1/2 gm of carbs per serving.

I just made beef and broccoli and I used 1 tbsp of cornstarch and 1/2 tsp of glucommanan to thicken about 2 cups liquid and it worked really well.

Flatferengi, if you want to do cajun style recipes, try just following the recipe minus the flour. I have made gumbo and jumbalaya (using cauliflower instead of rice) and the flavor of andouille sausage and the other seasonings are so strong that I didnt miss the roux at all. Now, I'm not a Lousianna native or a fine chef, so maybe there is some difference, but I couldn't tell and really enjoyed the recipes.

Thanks for all the advice, HEWMONS
 

I will be spending lots of time in the kitchen after 2/15/13. FF

:jumpjoy::clap:


Don't forget about us when you are NOT working!

Boy I bet you are counting every second between now and then! :D

What else are you planning for all your free time??

I PLAN to spend as little latinum as possible.
 

buying a whole chicken or chicken thighs instead of chicken chests. Cheaper cuts of everything as a matter of fact. when making tuna salad, using half solid white and 1/2 chunk light instead of all solid white. That sort of thing. Getting back into walking, on a regular basis. Most important-to stay as busy as possible to stay as far away from the fridge as possible.Not to be RUDE even i should RUIN the ROUX FF

I use almond flour with half butter half oil for the fat when making roux for gumbo. It has a slightly different texture as well as flavor, but my family likes it just fine in gumbo. It has a slight nutty flavor like browned butter. Even the carb eaters eat it without comment that it is different.

I re-discovered chickpea flour today, for making gravy.
(I used to use it a long time ago, but sort of forgot about it.)
It has thickening superpowers, and doesn't get lumpy. It has a nice flavor, and is cheap compared to many other LC flour substitutes ($3/lb vs $9/lb for almond flour at my local store).

I toasted it in a dry pan and then added ingredients to make gravy.

PS--13g net carbs per 1/4 cup (compared to 23 g carbs in wheat flour),
and a little goes a long way! It's tastier than flour, too, but not particularly "beany".

The next Cajun recipe I make I'm going to try using my new lupin flour for making a roux and see how that comes out.

I've used the BTF mix to make a roux, and it worked just like regular flour.

Thanks Sharon
 

For providing the difference between making a roux as the
flavor of the gumbo vs. the thickening. Okra can be purchased
in our area frozen in winter. I love gumbo and I do use regular
flour for the roux. I am going to try oat flour next and see what
happens.