Hello all,

I hope I can get a little help here about some technical questions
about roux's. Before posting, I have consulted a lot of books including
Culinary Institute of American and Cordon Bleu books.

1. Regarding the dextrinization of the flour, many recipes say cooking
the starch in fat reduces "starchiness" and increasdes "nuttiness". But
at least for a white or blond roux, mot of the starch will still be
there. So does the nuttiness from dextrinization mask the starch flavor
of the remaining starch or is something else happening at a chemical
level which actually changes the starch flavor?

2. Many recipes say Gelatinization reduces starchiness by spreading
the starch molecules around but I haven't read anywhere that it changes
them chemically. So does the spreading around of the molecules reduce
starchiness by effectively "diluting" their starch flavor? Or does it
not change starch flavor at all, just the texture? (Some of the
research I have done suggests the gelatinization actually removes some
of the starchiness. But I wonder about this.)

3. Some recipes mention that when making a bechamel, you should whisk
and simmer (for up to 30 minutes) to reduce starchiness . I have had
pretty good luck simmering at low heat and whisking only several
minutes following gelatinization. Doesn't oversimmering begin to
produce off-flavors from cooking milk proteins?

4. Finally, many recipes seem to specify adding a hot roux to a cold
liquid (or vice-versa). But does this matter if you add only small
amounts of liquid to the roux? My method for 1 to 3 cups of bechamel
has been to add only a couple tablespoons of liquid to the roux in the
beginning (without regard to what is hot or cold), mix till no lumps,
than add slighly more liquid. I don't usually have any lumps.

Thanks so much,

Meryl