Editing Cajun cuisine (section)

===Cooking bases===
* Dark [[roux]]—Cajuns inherited roux from the French. However, unlike the French, theirs is made with oil or [[bacon]] fat and more lately with [[olive oil]], and not normally with butter. It is used as a thickening agent, especially in gumbo and ''[[étouffée]]''.<div style="line-height: 0.22em;">{{nbsp}}</div>
:Preparation of a dark roux is probably the most involved or complicated procedure in Cajun cuisine,<ref>{{cite book |last1=Les Vingt |first1=Quatre Club |title= First-- you make a roux |date=1954 |publisher= Les Vingt Quatre Club |location= Lafayette, La |page=47}}</ref> involving heating fat and flour very carefully, constantly stirring for about 15–45 minutes (depending on the color of the desired product), until the mixture has darkened in color and developed a nutty flavor. The temperature should not be too high, as a burnt roux renders a dish unpalatable.
* Light roux—The secret to making a good gumbo is pairing the roux with the protein.{{citation needed|date=March 2012}} A dark roux, with its strong (dense) nutty flavor will completely overpower a simple seafood gumbo, but is the perfect complement to a gumbo using chicken, sausage, crawfish or alligator.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Hand|first1=Edie|title=Cajun and Creole cooking with Miss Edie and the Colonel: The folklore and art of Louisiana cooking|date=2007|publisher=Cumberland House Pub.|location=Nashville, Tenn.|pages=1–281}}</ref><div style="line-height: 0.22em;">{{nbsp}}</div>
:A light roux, on the other hand, is better suited for strictly seafood dishes and unsuitable for meat gumbos for the reason that it does not support the heavier meat flavor as well. Pairing roux with protein follows the same orthodox philosophy as pairing wine with protein.
* [[Stock (food)|Stocks]]: Cajun stocks are more heavily seasoned than Continental counterparts, and the shellfish stock sometimes made with shrimp and crawfish heads is unique to Cajun cuisine.