All our lives we Cajuns were told never to use self-rising flour to make gumbo roux. Many misinformed beginners became the brunt of jokes for unwittingly using this type of flour to make gumbo roux instead of traditional all-purpose flour.
Yesterday, before credible witnesses, I demonstrated that you
can use self-rising flour to make gumbo roux (using no oil) as long as it is cooked in the microwave oven and not on the stove-top. I tested the roux by preparing a small stew with a couple choice meats and seasoning including the trinity vegetables (onions, celery & bell peppers). I added about 6 Tbs of the self-rising gumbo roux powder to the test-stew and it came out great.
I think I've figured out why it works in the microwave using no oil and why it doesn't work doing it the traditional way. The trick is
not to get the self-rising flour 'wet'. The brand that I used (Gold Meadow) contained, among other ingredients, leavening ( baking soda, sodium aluminum phosphate and monocalcium phosphate). I believe the double-acting agents in self-rising flour will not work unless they come in contact with a liquid (like water or oil) and heat.
What I did was to apply heat to the self-rising flour in the same manner as I did with the all-purpose flour formula for the
Easy Microwave Gumbo Roux ... and it worked like a charm.
I should mention that when you add the roux to the stock or liquid in your gumbo it will have a tendency to fizz upward and boil over if you do not remove it quickly from the heat source. This action will eventually cease as you stir and cool it down.
So, you see. Never say never! Ahheee!!
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