Microwave Cooking for One by Marie T Smith

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Monty 2'S Recipe for Microwave Cajun Roux

"First you make a roux," says George Montero, Jr. (aka Monty 2), who is enjoying retirement after a 36-year career in sales with Rubbermaid, Inc. Monty 2 says, "Of the many job responsibilities throughout my career the most exciting, rewarding, and fun years were from 1983 through 1985. Rubbermaid introduced a line of microwave cookware and hired Donovan Jon Fandre, famous for his Public TV show Microwaves are for Cooking. My job was to escort Donovan around the United States and contact newspapers, television and radio stations, etc., to schedule interviews. We also performed demonstrations of microwave cooking at department stores, housewares shows, and microwave specialty stores.

Prior to this juncture of my life I didn't even own a microwave oven. As I watched Donovan, as well as other microwave chefs (Jean Durkee author of Tout de Suite I and Tout de Suite II, and Jeanne Landry author of Sauté), I developed a great interest in microwave cooking. Growing up in New Orleans I watched my mother prepare New Orleans style food — Shrimp Creole, Crawfish Étouffée, Jambalaya, Seafood Gumbo. I wanted to be able to prepare these entrées in the microwave and set about doing just that. I personally believe all of these recipes work better in the microwave because they retain more of their natural flavors.

Now that I have retired (December 1994), I spend a lot of my time creating websites featuring microwave recipes as well as conventional cooking recipes."

Note: Links to the index of Monty 2's many recipes are available at the end of the recipe.

The saying in Louisiana is, "First you make a roux" ... before you cook anything!

Roux has been used in Cajun and Creole cooking, as well as French cuisine, for decades to thicken gumbos, étouffées and sauces, and enhance meats. A roux must be stirred constantly. In conventional cooking you use a cast iron pot and spend an hour carefully monitoring the pot to achieve the same results as the recipe below, which you cook for approximately 12 minutes in a 1,000-watt oven. Jeanne Landry always used to say, "Once you make the roux and add the vegetables, you can put anything in; shrimp, crabmeat, sausage, chicken, even the legs of your favorite chair if you splinter it up, just pour it over rice."

Please be careful when creating roux! It gets very hot!

So, put away the cast iron pot and get out a 4-Cup Pyrex glass measuring bowl and let's make some roux!

Microwave Cajun Roux

Monty 2's Additional Notes: If you've ever made roux the conventional way, you know that it must be watched constantly or it will burn. The first step, Oil/Flour cook on high 7 minutes, is the stage that I stir every 30 seconds after about the first 4 minutes. The mixture will start to thicken after that time and it is necessary to stir to get the smooth consistency back and also to check on the color. When the color is medium to dark caramel, I like to stop and stir out of the oven. The roux will continue to darken and you have less chance of burning it. The next two stages (3 more minutes with the tough veggies, then 2 more minutes after adding the tender veggies), you really don't have to stir while it cooks. You do have to stir the vegetables when you first put them in the hot roux, then forget it.

Congratulations! You have now made authentic Cajun Roux in your microwave. For microwave recipes like Crayfish Étouffée and Seafood Gumbo to prepare with your roux, visit:

Monty 2's Recipe Index

NOTE: Cooking times are for a 700-watt oven. For best results with this and any other microwave recipe, please be sure to go to Timing of the Microwaving Tips section for a complete explanation of timing in the microwave.

Microwave Egg Boiler — Hard or Soft boiled eggs in minutes from your microwave!