Gumbo

[DeanRIowa]

I will be making gumbo for the first time at work for some co-workers. Here is the base recipe I was thinking of using. I was thinking of adding chicken and okra to the recipe.

Any changes or recommendations?

thanks,
Dean

[Roy_Lynne]

We were in Louisiana in January and stopped first at Avery Island and then went to Conrad Rice Mill in New Iberia and took their tour. What a delight that was, but the movie they played talked about making gumbo and that the secret was the roux and the heavy cast iron pan that is needed to cook the gumbo in. By the time the tour was over, I was so hungry for gumbo, my mouth was squirting. Asked the lady where to go get some and she gave us directions to this little place called Bon Creole and said it was next to an RV dealer I am so glad she mentioned that little fact. This restaurant's sign had faded away about 20 years ago and you could just make out the "rant" part. But the gumbo was absolutely to die for and I was really sad that we were leaving the following day, because had we stayed, we would have gone back to try their other offerings.
Anyway, point of this post, ITS THE ROUX and the PAN.

[coolbreeze01]

DeanRIowa wrote:
The end results turned out pretty good. I was told it tasted like Gumbo, but being from the north there was noone who had eaten it more then once or twice.




Thanks again for everyone's help.

Dean

Looks good to me :C

[derouen6]

Right on Crodad.

[Big_Katuna]

The skillet way is traditional. You have to stir constantly. Turn your back for 90 seconds and you will scorch it. Little black specs and a bitter back taste.

I often concede to a blonder roux with less risk of burning it.

We have stayed at Poches In Breaux Bridge many times. We love the area (and food)..

I had the gumbo-okra conversation with the locals and its divided about half and half agreeing disagree with me.

I got the line about being soup not gumbo from a native..

Controversy? Potato salad in your gumbo or not!

Kind of like Ohio Chili and Texas chili.

[NYCgrrl]

I just want to point out that what with Africa being a continent as opposed to one monolithic country w/ only one common language (;)) it is thought by some that gumbo comes from the Swahili word, ngombo. And yes, in some parts of the New World, gumbo still means okra.

Me? I'd eat the American stew dish with or w/o okra with total glee.

DeanRlowa, your finished product looks like good eats and I'm sure there was little if any left:).

Speaking of "Good Eats", I've tried AB's method, Big Katuna, and enjoyed it except for having to wear clumsy forearm covering oven mitts throughout the stirring process. Going to try the browned flour in a skillet version next time just to see what it's about.

[Crodad]

Big Katuna wrote:
As another poster said, the African word for Okra is Gumbo.

If it doesn't have Okra in it its soup, not Gumbo.

And Roux can be Blonde, too.

I make Roux in the oven. Cast iron Dutch oven, a cup of flour , cup of canola, 350 for 90 minutes, scraping and stirring every 15 minutes. Finish on stove top 5 minutes stirring on low. Alton Brown taught me.

I don't think it will go over good if you come down here and call our gumbo soup because it has no Okra. We love an okra gumbo just as much as one without okra. Actually, we think a New Orleans gumbo is a soup.

[Big_Katuna]

As another poster said, the African word for Okra is Gumbo.

If it doesn't have Okra in it its soup, not Gumbo.

And Roux can be Blonde, too.

I make Roux in the oven. Cast iron Dutch oven, a cup of flour , cup of canola, 350 for 90 minutes, scraping and stirring every 15 minutes. Finish on stove top 5 minutes stirring on low. Alton Brown taught me.

[DeanRIowa]

The end results turned out pretty good. I was told it tasted like Gumbo, but being from the north there was noone who had eaten it more then once or twice.




Thanks again for everyone's help.

Dean

[NYCgrrl]

DeanRIowa wrote:
I am making the Gumbo Wednesday for lunch at work in a crock-pot.

Tonight though, I made the roux:


How do I know if roux is burnt? To me the whole time it smelled like hot oil(corn) while cooking(wife said burning) and for me the taste is like oil and flour. It almost has a nutty flavor. I whisked and stirred with spatula the whole time over medium hot for 40 minutes.



Dean

A nutty smell and flavour is a good thing! Means the flour is fully cooked and should incorporate with the liquid ingredients with ease.
If it was burnt well you'd know it....smells sorta like black toast.
You are doing fine for my sight:).

[DeanRIowa]

I am making the Gumbo Wednesday for lunch at work in a crock-pot.

Tonight though, I made the roux:


How do I know if roux is burnt? To me the whole time it smelled like hot oil(corn) while cooking(wife said burning) and for me the taste is like oil and flour. It almost has a nutty flavor. I whisked and stirred with spatula the whole time over medium hot for 40 minutes.



Dean

[Swamp_Rat]

All good cooks will taste the pot before declaring it done...best to need salt at the end than too much in the pot...I also add chopped green onions and parsley when I turn it off to sit for 15 min...

[Vintage465]

I went ahead and made the gumbo on the like provided in the first post. It is surprisingly good. Mostly I found it was a little light on salt/seasoning. I just sat down with a bottle Tabasco and a shaker of Zatarains and every thing was fine. I've made gumbo many times with roux's and the flavor is certainly better, but I feel it is reasonable trade off for the lower calories. Since I took a supervisor job I've tacked on 35 pounds of tallow................

[Ron3rd]

A friend always makes the Paul Prudhomme recipe and it's pretty good.

Paul Prodhomme's Gumbo

[derouen6]

Well said Crodad.