My roux almost always separates from the stock initially - maybe because I take it as dark as possible - but it always comes back together with whisking over a low simmer. Did yours stay separated?
when I make my roux, I add the stock in a slow stream (which is probably what you're doing) but I find that if I add too much too fast it all goes to hell and is usually the source of my probelm. I add my stock as soon as the roux smells like pie crust. my river road cookbook suggests making a "dark roux" which leads me to think that so long as it's not burnt you should be able to use it to bind. river road also suggests adding the entire quantity of water/stock to the roux (stirring continuously) and then adding your gumbo ingredients. I think some people might add enough water to thin the roux and then add that to the greater quantity in the pot.
That should reduce it's thickening effect, but shouldn't stop it from combining. The obvious would be that you're not whisking it enough, but if what you do has worked for twenty years, I'm at a loss. You might try heating the stock but I do it both ways with no trouble. Good luck, anyway.
Not sure what I'm doing differently. What I mean is I add room temp stock to roux and its not binding together. The roux ends up floating on top of stock and not combining with the stock to make the gumbo.
Maybe i've read too many doctor's visit reports but i'll first ask- what did you differently than before? what diff product did you use? and what do you mean your stock is breaking?do you mean there is foam on the top? breaking, in my lexicon, is when fat and non-fat separate, as when a hollandaise sauce 'breaks' but can be brought back together w/ whisking and adding cold water. but i've never heard 'breaking' in reference to a stock or a roux.
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