OFFICIAL THREAD: General Cookery and Discussion

[Piobaire]

I use butter and a little olive oil if it’s looking dry.

 

[Luigi_M]

I never managed to make a good roux without butter

 

[Blake Stitched Blues]

I've never tried a cajun/creole style roux but I reckon butter would burn (and split, due to the water content) before you got to a good dark roux. I might try a gumbo at some point this winter. Made red beans and rice for the first time the other night and really liked it.

 

[Van Veen]

I've never tried a cajun/creole style roux but I reckon butter would burn (and split, due to the water content) before you got to a good dark roux. I might try a gumbo at some point this winter. Made red beans and rice for the first time the other night and really liked it.

This, and if you trust Serious Eats, they point out that for anything beyond a blond roux, most of the flavor comes from the cooked flour; the flavor of the fat is mostly lost.

Clarified butter might work, though.

 

[Piobaire]

Yup, needs to be clarified butter for a dark roux. I've also been known to use some bacon fat as part of the lipid component. IME the main thing is continuous stirring.

 

[beargonefishing]

This looks like fun.

 

[javyn]

You can do dark roux without clarified butter, but it will just take longer as you won't be able to up the temp as much.

I never use clarified butter, but my dark roux take about half an hour sometimes more.

 

[Lizard23]

What are people planning for Christmas/Christmas Eve menus?

My fish order went in today so it got me excited. We have 25 people with us so we go a little crazy.

Christmas Eve: (modified feast of 7 fishes)
Orange Salad
Shrimp cocktail
Seafood Salad
Fritto Misto
Steamed Mussels
Baked clams
Butter lobster on brioche
Spaghetti and clams (white sauce)
Crab and bucatini (red sauce)
Planked Halibut with capers and mushrooms

Christmas Breakfast:
Popovers with gruyere and jams
Soft Scrambled eggs
Bacon

Christmas Dinner:
Sunday Salad
Eggplan Parm
Lamb Ragu with Rosemary and bucatini
Porchetta
Roasted vegetables

 

[beargonefishing]

I'm thinking prime rib, but don't know our travel schedule yet.

 

[Lizard23]

I would love to do prime rib but too many people who like well done meat in my extended family and cooking well done prime rib is not something i will do.

 

[Omega Male]

25 people? You're a better man than I.

 

[beargonefishing]

I would get the tinder app and find a new family. Or is that Facebook? I can't remember the name of the app that gets you a new family.

 

[Piobaire]

I'm kicking around Chateaubriand or taking an easier way out. Sous vide individual filets and finish them on the Lynx IR burner. For plating, bed of duxelle, filet on top, fondant potatoes, sauce with some of that homemade demi I made a few weeks ago. That will be far easier, and just as tasty, so thinking that's how I'm going.

 

[Lizard23]

25 people? You're a better man than I.

Its hectic but i honestly enjoy it... and only about 10 spend the night so there is some reprieve.

Also, alcohol helps a lot.

 

[Lizard23]

I'm kicking around Chateaubriand or taking an easier way out. Sous vide individual filets and finish them on the Lynx IR burner. For plating, bed of duxelle, filet on top, fondant potatoes, sauce with some of that homemade demi I made a few weeks ago. That will be far easier, and just as tasty, so thinking that's how I'm going.

i have always thought that chateubriand was the center cut loin roast itself and beef wellington as that roast rolled in pastry with duxelle. Have i been using the terms wrong in my head?

In any event, i like your second approach better actually as I always find the protein in beef wellington to taste “steamed” if that makes sense. Or maybe I have just not had a good one. I did have a venison wellington at a restaurant recently that was quite good.