roux

Mine smells toasty. Not like toasted bread - slightly nutty.

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over medium high heat and stirring the entire time.

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I stir constantly at about low to low medium. (gas)

I brown the flour by itself, either in a cast iron skillet on low while scrapping the bottom or in the oven stirring every 15 min. I sift it after I brown it.

One of the best ideas I have gotten off of this board is doing a roux in the microwave. All of the purists may turn their noses up at this idea, but it comes out perfect everytime. I use a large Pyrex measuring bowl with the handle and a wisk. You can't beat it. If you want to know how to do it, let me know.

Very simple. Get a Pyrex dish or something similar. Basically something that can withstand a lot of heat. Put your flour and oil mixture in the bowl and wisk it until smooth. Put it in the microwave on high for 2 minutes. Take it out and wisk again. It will be bubbly. Put it back in for another 2 minutes and repeat the process. As the roux darkens, you will want to decrease the cook time until you reach the color you want. I do it in 30 second increments. So basically once it starts getting to that tan color, I will drop it to 1:30. And then as it darkens further, the time gets shorter. You get the idea. Obviously every microwave is different, so how many times you cook it at 2 minutes, then 1:30, etc. will vary. It will thicken as it gets closer to being done so don't freak out if its still thin and you have cooked it 4-5 times. Just cook it to the color you want and that's it. And keep in mind that if you are gonna make it real dark, and you don't plan on using it right away, it will continue to cook after you take it out for the final time. Basically, don't let it burn sitting on your countertop. Hope you like it.

I use a 1 1/3 cup of flour and 1 cup of oil, but I'm sure if you like the 1:1 ratio, it would work just fine.