From mac and cheese to the gravy over your biscuits, so many comfort foods begin with a roux. A roux is a blend of flour and fat, like butter or oil, that is used to thicken sauces and add a rich, creamy flavor, and to get your roux just right every time, celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse suggests following these two tips.

Lagasse starts his roux by making sure he uses the right temperature, and the chef suggests you start your heat above medium and warns against turning it too high or you risk burning your roux. Lagasse’s next tip is a bit more unique, and the chef recommends using a wooden spoon rather than a traditional whisk when stirring your roux.

A wooden spoon is good to use for cooking in general because it doesn’t conduct heat, nor does it change the cooking temperature by absorbing heat, making it perfect for a heat-sensitive roux. Other than that, Lagasse prefers to use vegetable oil to make his roux and typically winds up using a 50:50 ratio of oil to flour.