How to Thicken Stew, Soup, and Sauces with Roux | Chef Jean-Pierre 

A couple things the good Chef left out: 1) The darker the roux - the less thickening potential the roux has 2) Roux is generally equal parts fat and flour by weight 3) A good starting formula is 1 lbs (454g) of finished roux thickens about 1 gal (3.8L) of sauce (you can play with this ratio as you gain experience) 4) To avoid lumps, add cold roux to hot liquid or add hot roux to cold liquid (this isn't foolproof, but it helps a lot) 5) After adding a roux to liquid, you'll have to continue GENTLY simmering for 20-30 min to get rid of the starchy taste. Be careful because once the roux is in, there is an increased chance of scorching the bottom of the pot. Stir a lot.

Chef, I cannot express how honored I am that you referenced my video. I made the videos during quarantine and stopped due to life and everything going on at the time. Also, as you know, making YT videos feels like you are screaming into the YT abyss and I felt a little discouraged. But you have encouraged me and inspired me to get back at it. Expect some videos soon! Thank you, thank you!

These are the kinds of fundamental skills that every other cooking channel skips over, but learning how and why to do it radically improves results. As always, thank you for sharing your knowledge with us, chef!

MAN, THINGS MAY NOT BE RIGHT WITH THE WORLD BUT WHEN I WATCH THIS CHEF THINGS APPEAR TO BE MUCH BETTER, I FEEL ENERGIZED TO DO THINGS IN THE KITCHEN AND THE WORLD SEEMS TO BE ALRIGHT

This cooking channel changed my life. I started watching for the entertainment value. Then after a couple of months my shopping lists changed, my eating habits changed, my taste in food changed, my time and how to use it changed. All that added quality to my life I didn't know I need and want until this chef did it for me. Thank you Jean-Pierre. If I ever visited the States I'll come to Florida to shake your hand (and get some of that balsamic viniegar you keep swearing by in every other video!).

Chef, you never disappoint. You produce the best cooking shows around. The world is a tastier place with you in the kitchen. Thank you.

You know, I followed this recipe about a month ago (as I have with so many others) and I just wanted to say that this roux, clarified butter, and so many other tips have really made a difference in my ability to create outstanding meals for my family. Thank you so much, Chef!

God bless you. I am 72 years old and can never get my turkey gravy thick enough at Thanksgiving . I have been making my own ghee and canning it for 2 years now and this recipe is definitely a God send. Thank you so much you gave made this old lady very happy.

I love this guy. I worked in kitchens in the later 90s so it was quite nice they started to show the angry chef that shouts and throws stuff around because thats the reality of a high pressure environment ansd yes a lot of them are like that, its stressful and you need to release now and then. However, it's been done to death now and its great to come back to see someone with such talent expressing the joy of cooking and sharing that experience and wisdom with everyone. Thank You.

Chef, I have watched many of your videos and I became a subscriber before I had even finished watching the first one. I LOVE your no nonsense attitude, the way you explain things ... everything is phrased simply, how you teach with your own mistakes and I really appreciate dishes your sharing that I had no idea of where to even begin to start ... Much less complete. Thank you so very much. -Texas Lady

As always, nothing makes me happier on Thursday morning than seeing Jean Pierre pop up in my notification feed. ❤️

Another vital skill / recipe delivered with such ease and entertainment. Thank you again Chef Jean-Pierre. The variety and quality of all my homemade meals has vastly improved with your guidance. 🙂👨🏼‍🍳

One of my best recipes was handed down by my grandfather from Ohio who was part of a traveling band of clowns which toured the country in the 1930s and 40s. Not only did he fully participate as a performer (juggling and spraying seltzer mostly) but he was also in charge of the Clown Chuckwagon, and over the years, came up with a nice selection of mostly campfire stews (or "or stewge" as Gramps used to call them),, soups and casseroles. One of my favorites, casseroles, which I still prepare frequently, consists of baked beans and wieners (for the KETO portion of the meal), macaroni and cheese. and a couple handfuls of those big orange circus peanuts - a sweet yet savory bake-up that's a hit with everyone who tries it. Gramps had one clown name for performing with his fellow troupers at carnivals, civic events, etc., throughout the central Midwest ""Antsy Pants" - but around the campfire at breakfast or suppertime, when most of these talented vagabond buffoons had removed their make-up and hung their giant shoes in their campers, (but oddly enough not all of them) Gramps was affectionately known among the boys as "Yummo." He told me how it wasn't unusual for farmers to donate a hen or two and maybe a couple of dozen eggs, in return for a brief barnyard slapstick performance by a couple of the boys for the farmer, his family and his hired hands.. He also told me as soon as he got back to camp with the chickens, the alcoholic Geek who traveled with them would inevitably beg permission to bite the heads of the pullets when Gramps was ready to get those birds cooking. Seemed that this particular Geek actually not only savored the taste of the live chickens he was required to eat (which were usually provided by the promoter of the event at which the troupe was performing) - but craved more when "off=the-clock" Talk about a Carnivore diet!! Wow!!! Reportedly, he was known to comment that "live chicken pairs well with a pint of Carstairs White Seal Blended." By the way, Grandma also traveled with Gramps. She was the seamstress - making a good number of the clown suits from her own design and repairing all them when required. So of course Gram and Gran rolled along from town- to -town with a big foot pump operated sewing machine in their trailer, - in addition to all the pots, pants, cutlery, stirrers, etc. My Dad was born in a campground in Posey County, Indiana, delivered by a local midwife and plopped into a casserole baking dish as soon as Gramps cut the umbilical cord with his second best onion chopping knife. As for me, I married young and did well for myself in doing so. My wife is the daughter of an outdoor parking lot magnate in a major city in Ohio. I was dowried with three downtown lots. I've had a comfortable life pretty much doing whatever I want all day while other people collect money on my behalf while sitting down in booths, watching TV, reading (or even snoozing between customers arriving and honking the horns to wake 'em up). Consequently, for awhile, I was able to open a couple of storefront business which specialized in selling "clown suits for the whole family," including custom made if somebody wanted them - and even clown suits for the family pets. The seamstresses I hired used Gram's patterns, of course. . The stores were called "Hem and Ha!" - and with every sale, I usually threw in a copy of one of Gramps' recipes for a clown casseroles, "silly stew," "buffoon bread, "Punchinello Porridge,," or what have you. Of course, they all pair well with seltzer water,

Mama showed me how to cook rue in a pot until the desired color. Black rue took hours. I saw this video and I love your method better. I love your channel. Thank you for sharing your talent and secrets with us. I cook better meals now thanks to your efforts.

Chef, many years ago I saw you on TV making a desert from strawberries that involved cooking the fruit down to a pudding consistency, adding orange juice and sugar, and topping each serving with cracked black pepper and orange zest. The result was amazing! However, I’ve lost the recipe and cannot remember it to save my life. Would you revisit this recipe and introduce it to a new generation of home cooks? Thanks!

One of the best video's you have done chef. AMAZING... More of these please! Love it. So many others NEVER explain the why's or reasons behind what they do. They either don't want to share their culinary backgrounds, or think we all know "The Tricks". You chef are GREAT because you talk to us in layman's terms, sharing your tricks of the trade. I have learned MORE from your channel about actual cooking than all the others I follow! Thank YOU for helping me be a better chef!

I wish I knew more people and had more time to watch and cook with you .. one time I made your seafood chowder with you and ended up sharing it with people in the street because the pot was so big !! I loved it .. feeding people feels very intimate and satisfying.. your my favourite chef of all time

Can't wait to get home and make some of that oven baked roux! I've learned more incredible cooking knowledge watching this channel for 6-months than I did in the over 60 plus years before it. Thank you millions, Chef !!

Thank you, Chef. I'm always watching, becoming a better cook by osmosis, or immersion, or emulsion or something... My dad was a country gentleman cook, always watched that old Cajun chef Justin Wilson, always kept black roux in his refrigerator. On winter holiday mornings we would have cheese grits and tomato gravy, his homemade biscuits with local cured ham and red eye gravy. He created recipes too, like Mexican pizza, and egg plant casserole. I learned my joy of cooking from him. My mom also - I wish I could taste her Italian Cream cake again. (It's not Italian, actually Southern, I believe.)😋😛

In fifteen minutes, I’ve learned more than the years of cooking shows I’ve watched. “Amazing!” ~ Chef JP I’ve used there techniques for years. But now I know the reasons to apply these techniques! Bravo JP.

Loved this video. I had no idea that roux could be made this way or that it needed to be added at the beginning. I feel like I graduated cooking school with this one simple technique. You are God’s gift to those of us who love to cook.

What a brilliant teacher! Informative, analytical, never boring! Thank you so much Jean Pierre!

First page of EVERY Cajun cookbook ..............'First, you make a Roux' ....tyvm !

Always excellent. Anyone who loves to cook should add Chef Jean-Pierre to their must watch list.

Thank you Chef, these are the kind of videos/lessons that you can't get anywhere else; that make your channel so valuable. This kind of stuff is what sets you apart from everybody else, aside from your wit, humor, and genuineness. Keep up the fantastic work!

Chef I made your roux and it is the best. I'll never use corn starch again for thickening my sauces. Thanks, Perry..........

Fab teaching, wish I had had you when I was feeding a large family and doing dinner parties. Now I find you when I am widowed and alone! You are a wonderful man chef Jean Pierre x

What an amazing thing I’ve learned today, and so easy! Never seen this done before and have ways had trouble thickening. Thank you! all I need to do now is go watch your video on how to clarify butter!🥰

The other week I tried making your mushroom sauce. Needless to say, it was the winner for my fiance and I. It was so delicious, it made the rest of my steak dinner seem amature. Guess I just need to watch more of your videos and keep learning lol. Thank you Chef!

This was a great tutorial! Right up there with the one on 'salt to taste'! I have learned so much from this channel and it has made the last two years bearable! Thank you for the entertaining and practical lessons!

I'm so pleased to see this! I've been doing this for quite a while, I keep a jar of clarified butter, and a jar of roux, made with more clarified butter, on my counter at all times! 😊 It's a great time saver, because I do a lot of canning and you can't can sauces or gravies that have a thickener added. When we heat up a jar of stew, we can stir in the prepared roux and thicken it in no time! And it really does keep for months, even at room temperature. I make things in bulk whenever possible, so I like to keep a backup jar in the freezer. Pop it in the fridge when the one on the counter runs low and it'll be ready to go when needed!

My favorite chef! Always a pleasure watching your videos!

Thank you again, Chef. Making these fundamental videos and quick cheats are helping all of us become better cooks at home. That sieve thickening video blew my family away when I was making your mushroom sauce recipe.

Chef, I just love love love your reactions at the end of each teaching session when you taste the food you’re preparing and teaching us. Thank god you did not taste the roux! You’re awesome!

Chef, I have no words. You consistently just blow me away. Thank you for everything.

I love this channel because I constantly learn new things. Watching you has definitely made me a much better cook. Thanks, Chef!

This is one of the best videos for roux I have ever seen. Thank you so much, makes my cooking journey so much easier. This is great!

I have been watching your videos for a while and find your practical approach to be refreshing, yet incredibly informative. I recently received praise from friends and family that my cooking was “restaurant quality”! I must attribute this compliment to you, as I put your techniques and training into practice!. Thank you, Chef Jean-Pierre!

Thank you so much for these fundamental skill videos!! I got so much value from your "how to salt" video. I watched it 20 times. Please keep doing these, they are so good!! You are my favourite cooking channel by far!

This video is up in the 10 favorite of Chef Jean-Pierre videos, Chef! Thank you so much for sharing your expertise with us. I never thought of making roux ahead of time, I’m sooo making this today! And the different kinds depending on dish! Wow, I’m excited to have these rouxs in my kitchen! Chef, even though I’m not a trained seasoned Chef like you, I’ve been cooking for almost 60 years like you, and the only thing is I don’t know how I’ve missed your channel all these years! What a treat! TY!

✨YOU are a wonderful teacher and an inspiration ✨ 💯

Thank you Chef! You promised us this video for ages now!

Thank you Cheaf, Ive been watching your videos for 2 years now. your videos made huge change to the way we cook at home. I didn't realize until i looked at some photos of the meals we used to make before finding your channel.

I will be making some today!!! Thank you so much chef & crew for always giving us such wonderful content & inspiration to up our game in the kitchen and try new things!! We look forward to many more videos

Maestro, you are the best cook and teacher!!!! Thank you so much for the education you always provide!

So enjoyed. I always made my roux with each time I am in need of it . Didn’t know I could prepare it in advance. This is a game changer. Love it ! Thanks again. I always learn something great evertime I watch your videos . Please don’t stop .

I've never learned so much in such a short period of time. My culinary skills have definitely gone up a few levels since I started putting into practice what you are sharing Chef Jean-Pierre!

what an amazing Chef!! full of amazing lifetime knowledge, tips and tricks no other chef is willing to show or explain, a true gentleman with experience second to none, you create dishes we can all do and fill us with confidence and enthusiasm to cook, i never miss an episode and express to all my friends and family to watch you!! God bless you Chef Jean-Pierre and long live his channel xxx your crew are the best too!! xxx

This is why I watch your videos. You do not leave a rock unturned. As always thanks for your time.

Allways helpful to knew these different technics, thanks chef//Lars

Wow - this is something I did not know at all. Thank you Chef - we adore you and you cheer us up as well as educate and of course our cooking is improving too! 🥰

Absolutely genius!! I learned SO much in this video!! Thank you!!!!!

I shared this episode with my sister and 5 other friends. I have been watching this gifted teacher for only a few months and I have mase his mushroom sauce without looking at a recipe...I just watched him put it together and I love butter. Thank you Chef.

I've never learned so much from any other chef. Chef has made such a better cook than I ever thought possible. Thank you for this video I learned so much about proper application of technique.

WOW! I cannot thank you enough Chef Jean-Pierre! You have helped me so much to become a better cook!

Chef. You truly are the best there is out there, excellent video

Ohhh I wish I knew this cooked roux trick long ago, but I’m still alive, LOL and so thank you! Your teaching skills come from your heart, your head, your hands, your tasting tongue 👅 😀 - and your soul, so beautifully intermingled. LOVE this channel!

Such pearls of wisdom... Thanks Chef JP! You are truly a blessing to us amateur cooks...

Just fabulous! Thank you! Love these types of cooking lessons and especially using butter!

I love these technical part of cooking. Thank you chef for this.

Merci beaucoup chef JP! You’re me go-to teacher when I want to improve my cooking! You’re the sun in my kitchen! Bonne journée love❤

Chef....you are the teacher of all teachers! You make cooking FUN AND DELICIOUS! Thank you so much....

As always, an amazing adventure in knowledge about cooking. Chef must really have a passion for teaching to give us all this for free ❤️❤️❤️ I am so grateful!

Love Chef's numbers! Thanks for everything you do!

These tips and recipes are so amazing. Things I’m sure many have paid a lot of money to learn or needs to be part of a family to inherit this knowledge. Aww thank you so much❤

Chef, you got me again! I thought I knew all the tricks for thickeners even the buerre-manie, but that baked roux trick is next level. This old dog is learning new tricks in almost every video. I may have heard of a cooked roux before, but I don't ever remember baking the roux and fluffing it for later incorporation. That's real line cook / chef experience talking there.

I love your videos!! You show how to easily cook a wide variety of foods and things like how to thicken your food. I look forward to the next video!!!!

Jean -Pierre you are AWESOME!!! WHAT A WONDERFUL, KIND, and CARING PERSON THAT YOU ARE!! I so enjoy your informative shows, just to enjoy your information along side the gentle kindness and respect that you show to your fellow man! God Bless you, Chef!!

What a versatile and time-saving practice!

Thank you again for the great knowledge chef JP

What a wonderful pro tip. Thank you. It worked like magic.

Oh, brilliant!!!! I am always in need of thickening my soups or stews and never happy with the flour thing we all do. Wow! I learned so much from this video and you have saved the flavor of my future soups, stews and gumbos!! Chef, you are such a joy to watch and we literally are attending a top-notch culinary school on-line - and free! THANK YOU ❤️

Way to go JP. Great instructional video. You really keep it interesting and entertaining. The viewers love it!!

Thanks so much for this and all the wonderful videos, Chef!

Not only does he show us each one, but he also gives us pros and cons for each one.

Chef, you are a great teacher. I love watching your videos. Thank you.

Thank you, chef, that was a marvelous video. Other than simply adding flour or cornstarch. I have never seen comprehensive instructions on how to thicken a dish. I have also never seen instructions on how to make a roux in the oven. I am looking forward to you using that in your recipes. Thank you so much.

Amazing !! Thanks for all hard work ,and amazing recipes. We love to learn from you

THANK YOU, CHEF! I use roux quite a bit and this is going to be a wonderful time-saver!

Great tip thank you Jean-Pierre.

Thank you chef, I never saw how to make roux.... This was one of my favourite educational video.

Thank you Chef for the wonderful instructional video!!! I have made roux in the past but never considered making it ahead like this...great tip!!!

Another outstanding educational video, and a great recommendation by the viewer. Thank you Chef Jean-Pierre God Bless 💪😎🇺🇸

Thank you so very much for these instructions. The how's, whats, and whys are so important in perfecting their craft and I'm extremely grateful for the knowledge you share with us Chef. My family and friends love you.

Great lesson, tips and techniques are always welcome. Thanks for the video. Play through.

I had no idea clarified butter roux was shelf-stable! Don't regret all the time I've already spent stirring my roux, but having a little jar of the good stuff in my pantry is going to make stuff go so much more smoothly. Magnificent as always, king.

Great Professor presentation!! Thank you Chef Pierre! Bon Appetit 🎉

Thank you again for sharing this ❤️

Brilliant idea!

I can honestly say, after watching many of your videos as well as those of other chefs and cooks, that I learned more about a single (important) topic in a short amount of time than any other video I can remember. That was full of info and easy to follow. Thanks!

This is a classic, not just in French cooking but in others as well. My mother was American born Hungarian. She always thickened with a roux. Merci, chef.

Yes! I love technical videos like this. I never knew about keeping fluffed-up roux like that!

Videos like this are sooo important. Ty chef

You make it so simple! Thank you so much chef!!!

Thank you so very, very much for this video, Chef J-P! I've used rouxs many, many times over the decades, but didn't realize that you could batch make a thickening roux for future uses. So very happy to know this pearl of wisdom! Will be making a batch of clarified butter and will make some cooked roux at the same time. Perfect! 😊

Hi Chef Jean-Pierre ~ I definitely learned something new from this video. The only roux I've ever made was from drippings after frying something, or cornstarch and water to thicken roast gravy. I am saving this recipe and will be trying it later on. Thank you so much for sharing!

This was an awesome tip. Thanks Chef.

Thank you Chef for another helpful cooking lesson! Always learning! 👍❤️

It is not just the how, but the why that makes all the difference Chef.

Next level skills for a keen amateur English cook like me. Thank you so much!