# How do you Gumbo?



## gonefishin (Nov 6, 2004)

I love love love Gumbo!

I have never been to Louisiana, but I still just love a bowl of gumbo. I've had gumbo at a good number of different places and while some are better than others, all are good. But I've never had two bowls of gumbo that were the same.

I make mine similar to this gumbo recipe at the John Folse website. About the only differences are that I don't use mushrooms and I'll hit the pot with some Filé after it's finished cooking.

I would love to hear (and to try) your recipes!

thanks!

dan


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## fishstickhunter (Jan 3, 2009)

This is one of my favorite winter meals


Crock-pot Gumbo

1/3 Cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup cooking oil
4 cups water
12oz fully cooked smoked sausage links, sliced
2 cups chopped cooked chicken
2 cups sliced okra
1 cup chopped onion
½ cup chopped green pepper
½ cup chopped celery
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
Dash hot sauce
1 tsp pepper
¼ tsp ground red pepper
½ tsp thyme
1/2 tsp salt
1 bay leaf
2 chicken bouillon cubes
Hot cooked rice

For roux, in a heavy 2-quart saucepan stir together flour and oil till smooth. Cook over medium-heat heat 5 minutes, stirring constantly, Reduce heat to medium. Cook and stir constantly about 15 minutes more or until a dark, reddish brown roux forms. Cool.

Add the water to your crock-pot. Stir in roux. Add remaining items. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 10-12 hours or on high-heat setting for 4 ½ to 5 hours. Skim off fat. Serve over rice. Makes 6 servings.


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## chefchampionnj (Jan 7, 2009)

If you make everything in one pot you wont lose as much of that subtle nutty flavor from the roux, and if you make it in the oven you can achieve a darker roux without running the risk of burning it. Heat the roux over medium heat and whisk only until homogenous, then bake in the oven at 350, stirring occasionally. Granted this takes much longer and is only really applicable for larger batches.


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## shroomgirl (Aug 11, 2000)

this is a takeoff between Paul Prudhommes and John Folse......

cook plump hens in a stock pot until tender
equal parts veg oil and flour, typically about 3/4 cup of each....I eyeball it....
in a large pot stir with a whisk until red brown, takes 20-30 minutes typically

Add Tony Chacere which is a staple in most Louisiana homes, cayene or chipotle, bay leaves, oregano, thyme, black pepper....


Add celery, onion, red bell pepper all diced

cook for a couple of minutes then add the chicken stock and torn pieces of chicken, andouille.....cook another 15 + minutes to meld the flavors....
serve over rice, topped with crystal hot sauce and parsley/scallions optional.

Just made a couple of batches recently, darn good.


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## gonefishin (Nov 6, 2004)

Thanks for the suggestions all! I'll give them a try.



I wish andouille sausage was easy to get where I live, most stores rarely stock it at all  No matter. With the weather around Chicagoland in January I'll be sure to make a pot of gumbo a couple of more times.

dan


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## chefchampionnj (Jan 7, 2009)

Look around, do some research on yellowbook.com for a charcuterie ill bet you can find some quality sausage.


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## juancarlos22 (Feb 10, 2009)

i have found a very good spot for gumbo....ragin cajun, or good co. seafood.


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## boar_d_laze (Feb 13, 2008)

Where de seafood? It ain't gumbo wit out no shrimps or bugs or nut'n'. Roux first, _file_ last and the middle is catch as catch can, 'ceptin dey's always some okra.

Beer,
BDL


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## pete (Oct 7, 2001)

BDL, not all gumbos have seafood in them. One of the more traditional gumbos "gumbo z'herbes" does not contain seafood and I know many a chicken and andouille gumbo recipe that does not contain any seafood. As for the okra vs. file powder arguement, so gumbos contain okra and some use file powder but the general rule is you only use one or the other, never both, according to tradition.


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## boar_d_laze (Feb 13, 2008)

To each his own. 

Every man a king,
BDL


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## kyheirloomer (Feb 1, 2007)

Pete, you're absolutely right. The Cajun folks who taught me how to make gumbo out in the swamp country stressed that point: you use okra, or you use file'. But you don't use both. If using okra, it goes in as part of the stew. File' is only used at the end (because it gets stringy if cooked too long). Usually, each diner adds file' to his own bowl.

You're also right about the seafood. While seafood can contribute to other gumbos, it certainly isn't required, nor always found. If any of my Cajun friends ever heard this line, "It ain't gumbo wit out no shrimps or bugs or nut'n'," he'd be wondering who was writing cookbooks for tourists. 

Other than the roux, there are no rules to what goes into a gumbo. Anyone who's spent any time in the swamps knows this. Cajuns use whatever is available---which is the whole point. To say this or that is required for something to be a gumbo is an affectation, not a fact.


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## shroomgirl (Aug 11, 2000)

okra or file generally are used with seafood gumbo......it's unusual to find tomatoes but Mr.B's had them in their seafood gumbo.

The only caveat worth knowing about seafood gumbo, is to prepare the soup and add the shellfish just prior to serving so the oysters, shrimp and crab are not overcooked.

Bruce Aidells is on CT for a couple of days, now is a good time to ask him about either making andouille or what he'd recommend in Chitown.


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## boar_d_laze (Feb 13, 2008)

The question as set before us in the OP is how we personally like our (resepective) gumbo -- not the ingredient list for _true_ gumbo. My first post here was intended to be humorous. After rereading it, I think the "style" made the intention clear. I'm surprised it's generated a discussion on what is and is not permissible.

In point of fact, I do sometimes make gumbo and have yet to make it the same way twice. While I love seafood, I don't consider it essential and neither do I consider the lack of okra and file in combination to be fatal. For that matter, neither is their combination a fatal heterodoxy. In fact, high-end cajun (contradiction in terms?) seafood gumbos are frequently made with all three thickeners, combining light roux with roped okra and file. It may not be purely traditional but the idea and execution have been around at least since American food started go grow up in the late sixties and early seventies.

I'd always understood that generally, gumbo was one of those things made to use what was around. As far as I'm concerned there is no single quintessential gumbo, no single right way, and a lot of the wrong ways can end up pretty well. 
_
Laissez le bon ton roulez_,
BDL

PS. File is ground, dried sassafrass. It is added when the gumbo is finished, and doesn't get stringy. Okra, on the other hand, does. One good way to prevent the strings from forming, is to barely cook the okra separately, reserve, then add to the gumbo about five minutes before service.


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## shroomgirl (Aug 11, 2000)

Exactly.....thank you for elaborating. Gumbo like jambayla are cajun food stretchers if you will......the laid back attitudes and gregarious hospitality of Southern Louisiana, especially Cajun Country mean that there's a lot of entertaining happening. If you go back and read Paul Prudhomme's cookbooks you'll see that their family of 15 lived off the land. It was not unusual for any of the 13 kids to invite friends over for meals....
One thing that's stuck with me is that his family would put a scoop of potato salad instead of rice in gumbo bowls. His mama's yeast rolls are still my favorite for "downhome meals". 

I lived in southern Louisiana for 15 years, there are no hard rules when it comes to cooking. Cajun is very much a "home cooks" style....whatever you have around can be used. Creole is New Orlean's high end cuisine and different...much more formal....oysters rockefeller, beinville, eggs sardou....vs jambayla.


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## gonefishin (Nov 6, 2004)

Yum yum yum!

Thanks for the discussion  

I've currently got some Bruce Aidells andouille sausage defrosting right now. As I stated, in my general area we rarely have andouille sausage in the stores. We do have a number of choices for local made sausages, but most are very mild polish sausages. I've decided to just make a bit of a drive every once in a while and buy enough andouille to throw in the freezer (why should sausage be any different from the drive I make for tomatoes, eggs or pork)


I will use okra in my gumbo every once in a while...but File' powder just really completes a bowl of gumbo for me. I wish I could but my finger on what it does to the flavors...it's just one of "those" things for me. Thanks a bunch all!

Choo Choo Ch-Boogie,

dan


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## chefbillyb (Feb 8, 2009)

IMHO a good gumbo is a labor of love. When I make it at home its made around my first beer of the day schedule. This is the most important factor. My Roux is a two beer Roux. First, while i'm stirring the Roux I am drinking the first beer. The second beer is to measure the color of the Roux next to the beer bottle. When the Roux matches the color of the bottle the Roux and is a nice medium chocolate brown its done. The second factor is a nice chicken broth. I also put in tomatoes that I froze from the garden. I put in all the spices that are in all the other posts. I feel any sausage that is used in any recipe should be able to stand alone when you eat it. What I mean is, it should be a sausage that you get a lot of flavor and is good quality. 
I make a dish that is cajun sausage blackened chicken linguini and the sausage is an important factor. Whats funny about Gumbo is, if you ask 100 chefs how to make it, you will get 100 different ideas..........................Take care .......Bill


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## gonefishin (Nov 6, 2004)

It would be nice to eat a perfectly roasted chicken every time. It would also be nice to have a wonderfully marbled prime Ribeye whenever I sat down for a steak dinner. But boy oh boy would this world be a poorer place if every bowl of gumbo tasted the same.



Thanks for your suggestions,

dan


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## gonefishin (Nov 6, 2004)

On the subject of andouille sausage...

I made a pot of gumbo yesterday (which turned out pretty good  ) and used the Bruce Aidells andouille. Because it was a chicken product instead of a pork sausage I was a little concerned that it would be too fine a grind. But both the flavor and texture was nice. But it still wasn't exactly what I was looking for.

That being said, I'm still getting the itch to have some Jacob's Cajun sausage. It's just those shipping charges. Still, I may get five pounds shipped and see how bad the shipping charges are.

enjoy the gumbo!

dan


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## chefbillyb (Feb 8, 2009)

Hey Dan, I am out in the Pacific Northwest and they wouldn't know a good sausage if you hit them in the head with it. I am from the Eastern seaboard, I miss the great polish sausage, Italian sausage in New England. I really think your right about Jacob's sausage. I think that may be a good sausage to heat, throw on a bun with a swipe of good mustard. I wonder, The casing looks a bit thick, like you would get a snap on it when eating in a gumbo. I see sausage as a work of art. If you find a good one, you are getting the end result of someones hard work and years of trying. take care.....Bill


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## bbay (Nov 22, 2007)

@okra vs. file
I believe the original idea was to use okra when it was in season, and sassafras when okra was not in season. But that was way back when there was no refrigeration, no flash freezing, and the like. Sorry, no footnotes, just a hazy memory. :lips:

@gonefishin
I'd post my recipe but it's one that I converted into a huge amount (12 cups roux, 36 chicken thighs, etc) so I doubt it'd be useful. I used this guy's site as a springboard for the gumbo (LINK). I think you may like the site, I've had it bookmarked for a few years now and keep returning to it when it gets close to Fat Tuesday (SOOOOON!!!!!!:lips::lips::lips.
That link also has sausage recipes if you're feeling really ambitious.

There is good sausage here in the PNW, it's just not easy to find...
I'm about to try my hand at making some in the near future.


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## gonefishin (Nov 6, 2004)

Thanks for the info bbay! I'll defintly be spending some time at NoLA cuisine 


take care,
dan


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## boar_d_laze (Feb 13, 2008)

bbay;256530 said:


> @okra vs. file
> I believe the original idea was to use okra when it was in season, and sassafras when okra was not in season. But that was way back when there was no refrigeration, no flash freezing, and the like. Sorry, no footnotes, just a hazy memory. :lips:
> 
> Actually the choice has more to do with cross-culture influences than season. File powder (sassafrass) as a seasoning is Choctaw. Okra is African. Amer-Indian and Afro-American influences run almost as strong as Acadian in Cajun cuisine.
> ...


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## bbay (Nov 22, 2007)

I don't understand your response. Are you saying that gumbo was not made by Afro-Americans in the off-season because they only use okra in gumbo? I'm sorry, but I can't tell if you are disagreeing with me or just elaborating. I may just be reading it wrong. 
I guess it doesn't really matter.:lips:

Aye. A lot of Spanish too.

I've heard said that the file powder you buy in the market is full of bay leaves. I know that the last jar I bought was junk. No idea what it was, I guess it could have passed for a jar of powdered sage that had been sitting in a window sill with the lid slightly ajar for 2 years. I'd like to try it with legitimate leaves some day.


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## kyheirloomer (Feb 1, 2007)

It's easy enough to make your own, bbay. Sassafras grows everywhere, and can't be mistaken because the leaves grow in three different shapes. Plus as soon as you crush one you get that wonderful aroma.

One nice thing about file' is that you use the leaves, which can be harvested without harming the tree; whereas medicinal uses of sassafras involve harvesting the roots.


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## bbay (Nov 22, 2007)

I wish more than anything else that I would be paid to take a sabbatical in the southern states. Well, maybe more like 4 or 5 sabbaticals. :lol:
Anyhow, I would be happy to trade you pine cones for sassafras leaves, pound for pound. 
That was a joke.

The leaves don't grow so freely here. I should just special order some though. Actually, it's on my list for things to do today now. 

I am envious of your local, KYHeirloomer.


and then to get back on topic (I feel like a hi-jacker)

Gumbo is good, but this year I'm going to axe the Muffuletta. Too much effort. My local baker did a great job emulating the loaf, but it is just too hard to make it to order. Plus I was using expensive cuts. 
I'm going to tackle a po' boy this year. Just beef. 
And the gumbo will be good because I will make sure that the person making it will use a dark roux, but they will use frozen okra and and...
no one will know, or care.
but I will.


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## erictheard (Aug 21, 2009)

Just thought I would add my two cents in after reading all of the interesting comments made above. There is definitely no single correct way to make a pot of gumbo. It is more a type of food rather than a particular dish. Just look around at how many different combinations of ingredients exist when it comes to making gumbo, not to mention how wide spread it is around the country. You definitely don't need to travel to Louisiana anymore just to get a good bowl of gumbo. 

Of course, you don't have to add seafood to be classified as gumbo, but how can one pass on all the wonderful seafood down here when it is in season. Not that chicken and andouille (a.k.a. gumbo ya-ya) isn't also a favorite in Louisiana, but there is a good reason for it. We don't like the cold too much so when the temperatures drop who wants to be jumping in the water chasing critters. Also, when it gets cold all of the okra plants die off. So after the first freeze of the year any okra you find is coming from California where the weather is beautiful all year. So back in the days when gumbo was being born there wasn't much produce being shipped in from the west coast. That is where filé came into play. Filé came to be used when okra was not available. That is why not too many recipes exist that have both okra and filé. But if that's the way you like it, then more power to you.

When it comes to the cajuns, they aren't the only source when it comes to gumbo. I'll give them credit for étouffée, jambalaya, and dirty rice. But when you look at all the components of gumbo, all the signs point to New Orleans. Not that cajuns can't make a mean pot of gumbo, they just do it a little differently sometimes. And remember, different never means wrong when it comes to gumbo.


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## ed buchanan (May 29, 2006)

On a trip to New Orleans a few years ago. I enrolled in a four hour class on Gumbo and its preperation. The main thing seemed to be the making and cooking of the roux. Cooked for a long time in what I thought was a cast iron wok type pot while stirring. The Chef Instructor pointed out the differences in gumbo;s and the reason everyone is different, is because evryone cooks the roux differently and to different stages of doneness. True secret seems to be the slow correct browning of the roux without any scorching or burning.


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## erictheard (Aug 21, 2009)

That is true. Definitely can't burn the roux. I've seen people make roux a number of different ways. As long as you don't burn it, any method is fine.

Just another interesting fact. The black population in New Orleans largely uses little or no roux at all when making gumbo. That gives one more way that gumbo can be made. So it is not always a thick soup.


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## chefbillyb (Feb 8, 2009)

Hello all, I just made a Gumbo today and my Roux wouldn't thicken. I used one cup oil and one cup flour. I put it on medium heat and watched it close stirring as I go. The Roux was getting darker and darker but never thickened. I was getting a bit pissed so I poured off some of the oil and put in some raw flour to salvage this monster. I got everything into a nice paste/Roux and poured in my Chicken stock...............The Gumbo came out ok, but not my normal good one....Why is it I'm having trouble with the Roux??????????????? thanks for the help.....Bill


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## petemccracken (Sep 18, 2008)

The "darker" the roux, the less the "thickening power", you really need to use "weights" rather than "volume", in general, 1 "cup of flour" is 4 1/2 to 5 ounces while a "cup of oil" is closer to 8 ounces, to me, you used too much oil.

Next time, try 5 ounces of each and see if that doesn't produce better results?


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## kyheirloomer (Feb 1, 2007)

I normally have no argument with using weight, Pete, particularly when baking. 
However, the traditional roux is made with equal parts by volume of flour and oil. 

>The "darker" the roux, the less the "thickening power",<

While this is true, it isn't a function of how much oil. The longer flour is cooked the more of its thickening power it loses. You could cook the flour dry until it turned a deep brown and it's thickening ability at that point would be no different than if you cooked it as a roux. In fact, you can buy so-called "dry roux" in jars. But that's all it is. 

This is one reason okra and file' are used with gumbos. By the time the roux has turned the deep coffee color you want for color and flavor the flour has lost much of it's thickening ability. So the result is sort of a heavy soup rather than, say, sauce like. The okra or file' then thickens it a bit further. And the rice, of course, adds additional body. 

ChefBillyB: Is it possible you worked at too high a temperature? Or maybe not stirred it often enough?

I've had my roux not thicken once or twice, but only when I tried rushing it with higher heat. I've been told that doing that cooks out the flour too quickly. My normal procedure is to start with one cup of flour and one cup of oil in a cast iron kettle over very low heat. When I learned this technique in the Louisiana swamps they told me if it takes less than an hour I was cooking it too fast. Usually it's more like 45 minutes or a hair more.


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## chefbillyb (Feb 8, 2009)

Hi, and thanks for the response.......I cooked it on medium heat. This only happened to me twice also.......... This is the only dish I make that I make the Roux and then dump in the other ingredients............When I thicken everything else its always the other way around.........................When I started making the Roux I thought to myself that the amount of flour didn't look like it was enough........I know when I talk to people about making Gumbo they always use a bit more flour than oil..........It makes me mad when it doesn't turn out the way it should, The quality of the Roux makes the dish...Thanks for the help.............Bill


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## cheflayne (Aug 21, 2004)

When I make dark and or very dark roux for gumbo, I work on high heat. It takes constant stirring, shaking of pan, and working; but the roux always comes out fine and does what it is supposed to do. In a restaurant setting, I can't generally justify to myself spending a hour or so making a roux when it is not necessary to do so.

Early on I used to stick to the 1/1 ratio on roux, but now days I trust my eye when making a roux because I find that flour can fluctuate with things like humidity, etc.

However, when I make a roux using the high heat method I return to the 1/1 ratio because trying to add flour doesn't work well with the speed required in moving my hands for whisking and shaking the pan, not to mention the extremely high heat of the roux at this point. If it splashes on your skin, you can see why it is referred to as Cajun napalm.


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## petalsandcoco (Aug 25, 2009)

Southern Gumbo

Ingredients:
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 large onions, finely chopped
1 cup flour
1 clove garlic, chopped
4 quarts water
1/4 cup parsley, finely chopped
salt and pepper to taste
1/8 cup bell pepper, chopped (opt)
meat 
1/8 cup celery, chopped (opt)
***to serve:***
1 cup green onion, chopped
rice
1/2 teaspoon file powder

Directions:
In large Gumbo pot, make a roux with oil and flour. You do this by cooking over medium heat, stirring constantly until the mixture (roux) is a dark caramel color (be very careful here not to scorch the flour). Remove from fire and add remaining ingredients, except 1/2 cup green onions, file', and rice. Boil for about 2 hours, or until meat is tender and gumbo has thickened. In the last 15 minutes of boiling, add reserved green onions.

Remove from fire and add file'.

Cook's Notes: The recipe says this will serve 5-6 but it must mean VERY hungry people since there is plenty when I halve the recipe. Meat to use can include: chicken is good by itself or with sausage or okra, any seafood (except clams), if using shrimp don't add it until the last 20 min of cooking time. This is like a soup that you pour over rice.
Enjoy.....


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## erictheard (Aug 21, 2009)

KY I don't want to show you up but Pete was actually correct. Roux traditionally is equal amounts by weight not volume.


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## kyheirloomer (Feb 1, 2007)

I reckon it depends on whose tradition, Eric, and how far back you want to go.

I learned to make gumbo from some Cajun fellas, out in the swamps. They used volume measurements, for their roux, as their fathers and mothers had done before them. Later I would watch folks from Lake Charles to Lafayette, Metarie to Baton Rouge make their own gumbos, and nobody ever weighed ingredients.

Gumbo has been made along the Gulf Coast for near on 300 years. Other than some upscale restuarants, nobody owned a scale. Even today, especially in the backcountry, a scale isn't high on the list of most folks' kitchen needs.

Many---perhps most---modern authorities also use volume measurements. For instance, in Edie Hand & Col. William G. Pauls _Cajun and Creole Cooking, _they say a roux is made by cooking equal parts flour and oil. Granted, "equal parts" could be ambiguous. But later on they say "the dimensions for making a roux are usually half flour and half oil or shortening. It may be in tablespoons or cups, depending on the size of the dish that you are preparing."

In _Cookin' Country Cajun, _Bobby Potts starts his recipe for spicy Cajun brown gravy by saying, "Make a roux as follows: use equal amounts of flour and shortening. Add the flour to the hot shortening....."

Indeed, putting aside direct observation, I can't recall ever seeing directions for a roux that said to weigh the ingredients.


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## erictheard (Aug 21, 2009)

Being from Louisiana I realize that there are 27,000 ways to make gumbo. Which also means that many people make roux different ways. However, roux has been around a lot longer than gumbo so I hardly think that a bunch of cajuns invented roux. I personally learned to make roux in 20 pound batches at a time so the easiest way to do that is to eye it up. But when I go tossing out information to people I believe it is best to give the correct information, not what T-bob and Jeanfreau from down on the river said. You should check a real cookbook like Escoffier for the recipe on roux. And if you want something a little more recent Alton Brown did a show on gumbo and his words were "a common misconception people have is that roux is made with equal parts of flour and fat by volume. When in fact it should be equal parts by weight." 

"Quantities for making about One lb.-Eight oz. of clarified butter, nine oz. of best quality flour" Page 16 Escoffier Cook Book
Since this recipe is for one pound of roux I'd bet that those are weight ounces he was talking about.

That being said you can make your roux however you want. As long as the gumbo you make it for tastes good than it really doesn't matter. But I still believe Pete was right. I still am not trying to throw you under the bus, but since you took the time to quote some literature I felt the need to let you know where I get my information. Besides being a lifetime resident of New Orleans, the city where gumbo was born.

And just for fun look up roux on Wikipedia.


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## maryb (Mar 21, 2008)

Tomorrows roux for the chicken wild rice soup is going to be chicken fat based :lol:


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## tvjimmac (Jan 29, 2012)

Greetings. I just joined ChefTalk after reading a thread about Gumbo. I'm a fairly accomplished home cook and love the whole stovetop roux process. I even have the patience to let it darken without burning it. My question is, why doesn't it thicken my gumbo more? It's the right color...the finished product tastes great...I just think it should be thicker. It's too 'soupy'. I've had gumbo made by a national champion and I thought his was also soupy. Am I missing something? How thick should gumbo be?


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## gonefishin (Nov 6, 2004)

Welcome Tvjimmac!

   I am not an authority on Gumbo, but I do love it!  All variations, all types, every pot!  

    The darker you make a roux, the more flavor it has...but it will thicken less.  Likewise, the lighter the roux the less flavor and more thickening power.

    How thick should a Gumbo be?  Well, it just depends.  It depends on what type of gumbo, who's making it, what ingredients are on hand and...

     ...I always say that you can tell what type of mood someone was in by how developed the roux is for their Gumbo.

Dan


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## tvjimmac (Jan 29, 2012)

Thanks for your insight. I guess I have this idea in my head borne out of too few trips to LA that it should be thicker. Having said that, on my last trip to the Baton Rouge area too many years ago, I had gumbo at a restaurant 'famous' for its award-winning gumbo which turned out to be the consistency of a cup of coffee! Guess I need to go back!


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## gonefishin (Nov 6, 2004)

Tvjimmac said:


> Thanks for your insight. I guess I have this idea in my head borne out of too few trips to LA that it should be thicker. Having said that, on my last trip to the Baton Rouge area too many years ago, I had gumbo at a restaurant 'famous' for its award-winning gumbo which turned out to be the consistency of a cup of coffee! Guess I need to go back!


 No two bowls of Gumbo are ever the same. You want it thick, add more roux, add less stock, add okra, use file' powder as a condiment. Another day you may feel another way...

Enjoy the Gumbo!

Dan


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## kaneohegirlinaz (Apr 24, 2011)

I was just thinking the other day how a nice bowl of something warm would be nice.

I saw this thread and for some reason I couldn't remember my own recipe. So...

I pulled it out and here's my two cents worth of a "QUICK GUMBO" (keeping in mind that " I'm just a little Hawaiian, a home sick island gal" and have never been to Louisiana)...

Sauté bell peppers, celery, onions and garlic; stir in tomatoes, chicken, sausage, chicken broth, thyme, bay leaves and cayenne. Simmer for 30 minutes or until chicken is done. Add frozen cut okra and shrimp; simmer until shrimp is done. Tighten up with WONDRA if necessary. 

Aloha Dan!!


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## gonefishin (Nov 6, 2004)

Hi Kaneohegirlinaz!

    Your Gumbo sounds delicious!  I went out for lunch today and had a bowl and I'll be making my own tomorrow.  You can't go wrong with Gumbo!

   You mention that you're a little Hawaiian, do you have any recommendations for a huli huli sauce? 

Thanks,

  Dan


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## kaneohegirlinaz (Apr 24, 2011)

Aloha Dan!

Why yes, yes I am Hawaiian

As for a recipe recommendation for Huli Huli Chicken, why don't post a new (seperate) thread?

Please join me there


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## chef oliver (Dec 28, 2011)

I cooked this as business main course at work...Thai gumbo - prawns and mussels cooked in coconut broth (coconut milk, carrot, celery, mango, ginger, chilli). And served it with staranise rice, which I cooked with squid ink. Really tasty thing.


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## kaneohegirlinaz (Apr 24, 2011)

That looks lovely!

I can’t eat mussels (allergic), but those Prawns look amazing!! 

I’m not so sure that I would be adventurous enough to try the rice with the squid ink, but anything is possible.


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## gonefishin (Nov 6, 2004)

Chef Oliver said:


> I cooked this as business main course at work...Thai gumbo - prawns and mussels cooked in coconut broth (coconut milk, carrot, celery, mango, ginger, chilli). And served it with staranise rice, which I cooked with squid ink. Really tasty thing.


Mmmmmm...looks great Chef Oliver!


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## chef oliver (Dec 28, 2011)

http://www.cheftalk.com/t/52406/how-do-you-gumbo/30#post_377555



kaneohegirlinaz said:


> That looks lovely!
> 
> I can't eat mussels (allergic), but those Prawns look amazing!!
> 
> I'm not so sure that I would be adventurous enough to try the rice with the squid ink, but anything is possible.


Thank you, I have cellphone with quite shitty camera, so pics are not the best, but thank you very much, anyway......Squid ink is almost flavourless, so when I used staranise to infuse rice, you would never feel any squid flavour in it


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## chef oliver (Dec 28, 2011)

Thank you


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## kaneohegirlinaz (Apr 24, 2011)

Heh,you're doing better than me, my cell takes the pix but can't download!!


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## knifesavers (Oct 5, 2011)

I'm from the NOLA area and my ancestors from the bayous. I'm an old purist and as gumbo is the african word for okra, no "gumbo" in the pot = not gumbo

Post Thanksgiving turkey gumbo is nirvana.

I have to do a low fat version and make a dry baked whole wheat flour, about the color of a cashew, whisked into stock as a roux thickener. Granted not a true roux but works.

Below is the boilerplate recipe. Little more of this, little more of that etc.

Second only to gumbo is a roux thicked stew called Sauce Piquante. There was a bar that served Sauce Piquante on Thursday nights out of a huge kettle. Pure spicy delight. Fans of cajun food should try S/P if you have never had it.

                                  TURKEY GUMBO
  Serving Size : 2
  Keywords     :                                                     
                                                                     
 
  Qty       Measurement      Preparation           Ingredient
  ---       -----------      -----------           ----------
    1       1.5 liter pyrex bowl       roasted, chopped      turkey

    1       pound                                          turkey or chicken sausage
    2       pounds           cut                   okra
    2       cups             chopped               celery
   1.5      cups            chopped               green bell pepper
    2.5     cups               chopped               onion
   1.5      bunches      chopped               green onion
    6       cloves           chopped               garlic
    5       Tbs                                    Roux flour
    3       16 oz cans                             diced tomatoes
    9       cups                                   turkey stock
    2       Tbs                                    parsley flakes
    1       tsp each         cumin, thyme, salt    creole seasoning
  3/4+      Tbs                                    Cayenne pepper
    1       tsp                                    Poultry magic
    2       large                                  bay leaves
 
  Chop up everything, mix in the roux flour with the stock, thaw the okra
  out and get started.
 
  Sautee sausage until browned  and remove from the pot. Dump in the onions, bell pepper, and celery

  in the same pot and add a little oil if needed for about 5-10 minutes. Dump in the garlic and tomatoes with their liquid and
  stir it up. When that gets percolating pour and stir in the stock,
  seasonings and turkey. Simmer about 10 minutes then dump in the okra and
  parsley. Stir it up and simmer this for about another 15 minutes. Toss in
  the green onions and stir through for 5 minutes. Add a bunch of file' to
  thicken it and eat.
 
  Notes: This stuff seems to improve with age so it is
  better in the subsequent days. Chopping the turkey finely helps improve
  the blending of flavors. The roux amount and file are very approximate, the
  goal is to thicken it to the proper consistency. That is up to the
  individual.
 
  Yields about double+ of the amount of stock used.

Jim


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## kaneohegirlinaz (Apr 24, 2011)

Turkey?

That sounds REALLY good!

And cumin... the last pot I made (the other day) I was thinking that as I stood in front of my spice cabinet.

Note to self, please remember to pencil that in the margin of your recipe for GUMBO!!!


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## knifesavers (Oct 5, 2011)

Cumin is real potent so start with a little and work it up. That is a boilerplate and the actual sheet is stained and has various scribbles of changes on it.

I don't have my seafood gumbo recipe in electronic form right now.

Will post once I do but I do not put cumin in a seafood gumbo as it would overpower the seafood.

Jim


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