Cajun & Creole, Roux, Marinade, Sauces and Spices

All Cajun or Creole recipes start with Roux. Cajun Roux:

"First you make a Roux" -- this phrase is repeated in almost all Creole and Cajun recipes. A Roux is a mixture of fat and flour, cooked together until the flour has turned an even, nut-brown color. It is important that the Roux be cooked in a heavy pot, slowly and evenly. If the flour is burned, it will not thicken the sauce. It will also impart an unpleasant taste.

Accepted methods of making a Roux call for equal parts of flour and fat (oil, bacon grease, shortening, butter, or margarine). For an ordinary sauce (such as gumbo, daube, grillades, etc.) bacon grease or oil is used. For more delicately flavored dishes (poultry, fish, and eggs), butter or margarine is usually preferred.

In a heavy sauce pan, melt the butter, or slightly heat the oil, over low heat. Stir in the flour. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until a rich brown Roux is formed (about 20 to 25 minutes).

Roux may be made ahead and refrigerated or frozen, tightly covered, for long periods of time.

Cajun Butter: O-SO-GOOD

2 Tbsp butter
1/4 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
1/8 tsp ground red cayenne pepper
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp cornstarch (or arrowroot)
1/4 cup chicken broth

Stir together butter and spices. Cook 1 minute (med

heat). Stir in cornstarch & chicken broth. Cook until bubbly. Serve warm over cooked corn on the cob or other vegetables.

Cajun Marinade and Baste:

1/2 cup olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 t. leaf thyme
1/2 ground hot red pepper
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/4 cup vinegar
1 tsp leaf oregano
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp paprika

Combine all ingredients in jar with tight fitting cover. Shake vigorously until well blended.

Cajun Mueniere Sauce:

1 1/2 cups salt butter
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
4 Tbs finely minced fresh parsley

In a small heavy saucepan melt the butter slowly over low heat, then cook over low heat until the butter begins to turn a light brown. Remove the pan from the heat and add the pepper, lemon juice and parsley. Stir; the sauce will foam up. When the foaming subsides, return the pan to low heat for about a minute. Stir to mix thoroughly, then remove the pan from the burner.