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First, you don’t make a roux by Ann Maloney First, you open a bag of Rouses Roux 2 Geaux.

That doesn’t roll off the tongue the way “First, you make a roux” does, right? Still, I’m willing to give up a bit of the romanticism of Cajun and Creole cooking if it means I can skip standing at a hot stove for some time, stirring to get that coveted dark roux for gumbos or stews.

I f I’m totally honest here, when I first saw the Roux 2 Geaux, I rolled my eyes. I mean, it’s easy to make a roux, right? Combine equal parts oil and flour, and stir until they reach the desired color and toastiness. The issue here, however, is time and mess. It takes about 20 minutes of continuous stirring over a low heat to cook the raw-flour taste out of the mixture. If you want a truly dark roux, it can take 45 minutes to an hour to make, and just a few seconds of inatten tion to burn. Roux 2 Geaux is a great shortcut for harried cooks who love traditional recipes, and for home cooks with physical limitations, too. So, I opened my mind and a package, and I was sold. It delivers the sought-after nutty, smoky flavor and deep color of a classic roux without the fuss and mess. Rouses frozen, dark brown roux has a simple ingredient list of flour and oil with a bit of the “trinity” of onions, bell peppers and celery, along with a touch of dried garlic and parsley. It contains no salt or cayenne, so you can adjust to make it as spicy or salty as you desire. (Don’t feel like chopping the vegetables? Pick up Rouses Fresh Cut Seasoning Mix or a bag of PictSweet Farms Trinity Seasoning Blend, too.) Crumble the block of roux into your Dutch oven, dissolve it with hot stock or water, stir in protein and/or vegetables, adjust for saltiness and/or heat, and simmer. Now you’re ready to eat. I used it to make a summer stew and an étouffée as well as Cajun roux peas. The color, flavor, smoky scent and texture were on the mark. (See the recipes below, and check out recipes on the Rouses Markets’ website, including a Roux 2 Geaux Chicken

& Andouille Gumbo; Roux 2 Geaux Seafood Gumbo; and Donny Rouse’s Red Fish Court Bouillon with Roux 2 Geaux.) So, what am I giving up by using this readymade roux? • The battle scars of roux making. Who here has stopped to rub ice on a roux burn or three? Don’t feel bad. My hand is raised, too. Tradition! My Cajun husband loves to stand at the stove and get his roux just the right shade of mahogany for his big pots of gumbo, but let’s be honest: He does that when he feels like it. And, if it is a weeknight, it’s about the marriage of taste, thrift and time! A couple of dollars? Sure, I have flour and oil on hand, so I could make my own roux for pennies, but when I consider the time and mess saved, I feel like I come out ahead. Also, the one-pound package, which is about two cups of roux, is ideal for big-batch recipes, like gumbo, but can be stretched to make smaller recipes. If you need smaller amounts of roux, thaw Roux 2 Geaux in your refrigerator and then portion it out and refreeze it. You can divide it into four, ¼-pound portions, or crumble it into resealable containers so you can grab a table spoon of roux at a time for quick, dark gravies and sauces. Frozen ingredients (like this roux), doughs, and the many fruits and vegetables available in the grocery freezer are shortcuts that make it easy to cook at home and avoid stopping for fast food or ordering that pizza. Here are three recipes to try so you can see for yourself that Roux 2 Geaux is an easy way to go. • •

Photo by Romney Caruso 36 ROUSES SUMMER 2025 • WWW.ROUSES.COM