What is roux?

Mixing the starch with fat is the principle of roux. It is a cooked mixture of equal parts by weight of fat and flour. Although exact amounts of fat and flour are called for in recipes it is solely the amount of flour that determines the thickness of the sauce.

Fat lubricates and smooth the flour so it does not form lumps with combined with stock or other liquid. The roux is used to thicken soups, stews, gumbo, white sauce or gravy. The fat should be a refined vegetable oil suitable for high temperature cooking, such as canola oil. Any grain or legume flour can be used to make roux.

A roux must be cooked so the finished sauce does not have the raw, starchy taste of flour. A roux is started by melting butter or other fat, adding flour and cooking the two together over low heat, whisking or stirring constantly to prevent scorching.

During this process, which takes only a few minutes, the starch is the flour expands as it blends with the fat. A good roux is stiff, not runny or pourable. A roux with too much fat is called a slack roux.
What is roux?

Coconut cream

Coconut cream is essentially a thick paste-like version of coconut milk, it is the first press of coconut and water. Similar as with cow’s milk, the coconut milk is left standing for a while with the cream separating on the top of the milk.

The amount of water added to the grated coconut determines whether to get cream or milk. It is usually to add very little water for the first squeeze to get what is called first milk or coconut cream.

The second thinner yield when more water has been added is called the second milk or just coconut milk.

Coconut milk usually contains about 17 percent fat, while coconut cream contains about 21 to 24 percent fat.

Commercial coconut creams are usually sold in cans, and the main ingredient in these products is almost always water. The dietary fiber of the coconut has usually been stripped out of these commercially available products as well.

Coconut cream concentrate is very different from coconut cream, and it is sometimes referred to as coconut butter. It consists entirely of dried coconut meat that has been ground very finely.
Coconut cream

Coconut milk for cooking

Coconut milk is a natural oil-in-water emulsion in which coconut oil droplets are dispersed throughout an aqueous continuous phase.

It is produced by shredding the meat of a fresh coconut, mixing it with an equal amount of hot water, the squeezing until dry. The milky, opaque liquid that streams out, full of the fat and flavor of the coconut, is coconut milk.

Coconut milk is rich in fat and protein. It has a thick creamy texture and is solid white in color, giving it an appearance similar to cow’s milk.

Coconut milk contains about 17 to 24 percent fat, depending on how much water is used in processing. The higher fat milk is often called coconut cream and is very thick and rich just like dairy cream.

Most of the recipes use coconut milk call for ‘thick’ coconut milk – the liquid from the first pressing of fresh coconut meat that has been ground with water. ‘Thin’ coconut milk is the liquid from successive pressings. Normally recipe for thick coconut milk combines the liquid from the first and second pressing.

Coconut milk can be used to make fruit smoothies, coconut pancakes, clam chowder and creamy chicken gravy.

Coconut milk also can be combined with fruit juice, milk, chocolate milk, and many other cold beverages.
Coconut milk for cooking