Wow! I'm so sorry! Don't be scared to wash the saved bits in a colander. I've only used oil in a blonde roux, and use butter for dark, but I remember reading that about the oven and it sounded good. Thank-you for sharing.

This is my first time hearing about making a roux in the oven! We always make ours on the stove top. Takes about 15-20mins for a roux. Seems like a hassle to make it in the oven? Sorry to hear it didn't come out good. It takes some practice to make a good roux on the stove top too.

Same as Sharon; I can’t recall ever hearing about an oven-made roux. Ugh, food, sorry it didn’t work for you!

I've not heard of the oven thing either. I was raised with stirring, I don't think I could trust a roux that just sat in the oven. What a bummer.

Butter and I have only ever made a roux on the stovetop

Always make the roux on the stove top. Equal flour and oil. I like bacon grease or bacon grease and oil. Stir constantly until the color of a dirty copper penny. Put the trinity in the roux and cook on very low until tender. Add spices, the okra and water or chicken stock. Cook for however long wanted. Add seafood at the last. Put rice in bowl, add gumbo, then file.

When I make gumbo, I use 1 Tbsp butter, 2 Tbsp grape seed oil, and 1/3 cup flour, but I add extra oil, if I need it.

I have heard of the oven method for making roux, but I prefer to make it on the stove top, as that is tried and true for me, and I feel that it gives me more control. I do take the roux past the peanut butter stage, but only until it is deep reddish brown and not chocolate colored. My roux is between the last two in this photo from the page that you linked:

I consider the next to darkest in this photo to be the peanut butter stage.

I've never heard of making a roux in the oven. Probably wouldn't ever try to, either. It doesn't take that long on the stovetop, and you have control over it there.

Weird! I don't understand why roux would be more likely to scorch in the oven. 350F is lower than a pan on burner low/med heat. But you did the test, and the oven process bombed - good information.

Of course, turns out my roux process is totally weird and wrong anyway - I use a pan to toast the flour dry to the desired darkness, stirring constantly, then add in the fat. So what do I know about roux.

Somethimg happens when you cook the flour in the oil on the stovetop. It does not happen in the oven. Use what has worked for countless cooks for unknown how many years.

Oil, flour, and add heat and stir on the stove top.

Do not reinvent the wheel.

Well if a site like SE offers up the oven method, along with many others, I’m going to assume my fail was user error not the method itself.

Here’s what I don’t get. I ended up making a velouté, using 3 tbsp each of butter and flour then adding stock once golden. Now the flour and butter came together as a paste, as I’m accustomed to. The oven method, with a cup each of flour and oil, never did. From start to finish it was just sludgy oil that would separate between stirring. For those who’ve used oil, does it come together like with butter?

The fat molecules are different sizes, and oil doesn't have water content, so often oil and butter just handle differently. I'm wondering if your flour was a bit damp or otherwise closed to absorbing the fat. Maybe it just got kind of coated by the oil and shut the fat out? While I was first reading your post, I was wondering if toasting the flour in the oven first (be like JL) might work better.

What's SE? Serious Eats? If so, yeah, I tend to trust them too. The method was mentioned in my gumbo thread awhile back, and I thought someone said they always did the oven method.

ETA: I found the thead. Suzyqtexas said she always does Alton Brown's oven roux. Saveur also references Alton Brown for oven roux, and don't they still test recipes?

On the way, I found this video for making "dry roux" if you don't want the fat. Essentially, oven toasting dry flour to the requisite color. Quick viewing and complete instructions:

https://www.google.com/search?q=alton+brown+roux+oven&rlz=1C1SQJL_enUS795US795&oq=alton+brown+roux+oven&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyCQgAEEUYORiABDIICAEQABgWGB4yDQgCEAAYhgMYgAQYigUyCggDEAAYgAQYogTSAQoyMjMzMmowajE1qAIIsAIB8QWhQWuiud_OTg&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:b7fdf837,vid:lfjsonB77_g,st:17

I was watching ATK last week, and they were making gumbo with a dry roux. They baked the flour by itself in the oven at 425° for 50 minutes:

Here's the full video, which includes New Orleans style red beans and rice.

I have the same All Clad skillet that they used, and I intend to try this method the next time I make gumbo. I also add okra to my gumbo because I love okra and buy it frozen to keep in the freezer. The Indian market that I go to always has it at a good price.

Oh hey maybe one of these three-legged robot pan stirrers, the things that look like invaders from Mars, will work.

UÜTENSIL Stirr - The Unique Automatic Pan Stirrer – Dishwasher Safe, 3 Stirring Speeds with LED Indicator

There was no mention made of stirring the pan of flour in the video that I saw, and I did not see them do that either. If it is necessary, then ATK left that information out.

This is the Alton Brown:

Place the vegetable oil and flour into a 5 to 6-quart cast iron Dutch oven and whisk together to combine. Place on the middle shelf of the oven, uncovered, and bake for 1 1/2 hours, whisking 2 to 3 times throughout the cooking process

I’ve tried for eons to make a decent roux. I have failed miserably. Finally, I stopped trying and used Tony Cachere’s Roux Mix. Don’t throw stones. It works for me.