Roux helps bring flavor to gumbo.
A roux is made up of equal parts of wheat flour and clarified butter. Variations of the mixture include white roux -- cooked until the mixture combines and loses its flour flavor, but not long enough to achieve color -- and darker rouxs such as blond roux and brown roux, which are cooked longer, until they begin to color. Roux is used to create soups, gravies and sauces.
Versatility
A roux thickens and adds richness to the flavor of various dishes. The roux you choose will depend upon the dish you're preparing. Roux acts as a thickening agent in several of the mother sauces of French cooking. Blond roux is used as a thickener for stock-based sauces such as veloutes. Brown roux is used for roasted stock sauces and to prepare an Espagnole.
Labor-Intensive
Roux is very labor-intensive. The mixture cannot be left unattended. It requires constant attention and stirring. This makes roux a difficult item to prepare for those without the stamina or mobility required to sustain the agitation needed. If you cannot keep up with the constant stirring, you may wish to try a recipe for a microwave roux, which needs only intermittent stirring.
Malleability
Using traditional ingredients means adding fat and flour to your food, which is not good if you are on a low-fat or gluten-free diet. While you can make substitutions, the result may not be considered a traditional roux. Depending upon the culture and cuisine from which you draw, a roux may include lard, rendered fat, clarified butter or vegetable oil. You may substitute other flours for wheat, but you will likely not obtain the same flavor and consistency. For simplicity, you can use water and flour, a blend called a "cowboy roux." You can also use toasted flour alone, without the fat, or substitute thickeners such as corn starch for flour.
Problems
Roux can be a difficult item with which to work, as the components can separate if they are blended at the wrong temperature. The addition of roux to a dish may lead to lumps or a failure to thicken. Generally, darker roux has less thickening power, but offers more flavor. Darker roux can be easily burned as you prepare it. To prepare any roux properly, you may need special equipment, such as a flat whisk or roux whisk to get the ingredients to the proper consistency. According to the Gourmet website, these tools are specially made to fit shallow pans with a large surface area, like the pans used to make roux.
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