Need a good gumbo recipe

[ouch]

Entertaining all offers.

[verminaard510]

This would be authentic Louisiana gumbo...the best!

http://www.realcajunrecipes.com/recipes/cajun/chicken-sausage-gumbo/1094.rcr

Im assuming that you do not have access to pre-made roux, this recipe shows you how to make the roux.


Chicken and Sausage Gumbo

Makes: 8 servings
Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour, 20 minutes
Ready In: 2 hours, 5 minutes


Ingredients
1 whole chicken, cut up 2 1/2 quart water
2 chicken bullion cubes 1 cup chopped bell pepper
1 cup chopped celery stalks 1 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup butter 1/4 cup oil
1/2 cup flour 1 (10 oz) bag frozen okra (If using fresh, about 2 1/2 cups sliced, and soak the slices in salt water overnight, then rinse before adding)
2 pounds smoked sausage cut into 1 inch pieces salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste
2 tbsp fresh garlic /4 to 5 cloves Tony Chachere's or file powder to season

Directions
In large stock pot, add chicken, water, bullion, and a little salt and pepper. Boil about 30 minutes, or until done.
Meanwhile, chop veggies and set aside. When chicken is finished, reserve the broth and set the chicken aside to cool slightly.
In large stockpot, melt butter with oil over med high heat until very hot. Using a wire whisk, mix in flour. Continue whisking constantly until the roux is the color of peanut butter. Quickly add all veggies and garlic. Continue to cook, stirring, about 3 minutes.
Slowly whisk in reserved chicken broth. Add sausage, salt and pepper, garlic powder. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer. Bone chicken, then add the meat to the pot. Continue to simmer about 20 minutes. Add okra, simmer 10 more minutes. Serve over hot rice, garnished with a little file or cajun seasoning.

[Ookla The Mok]

I'd tell you my recipe, but I don't have one. I start with a shrimp shell stock and just keep adding to my taste. Gumbo isn't a recipe type dish. It's like spaghetti sauce, it goes in a huge pot and cooks all day until you are satisfied with it. There are concepts.

Do you like Okra? If you do, then you may be able to use it as your sole thickening agent. I find Okra a bit gummy to use as the primary thickener. If you love Okra add just enough to keep it a little thinner than you like and skip the next paragraph.

Contrary to popular belief, I don't think a dark roux makes a better gumbo. A nice light roux makes for a sweet/spicy gumbo, which is usually my goal. Darker roux is a poor thickener, tastes nuttier, and is very easy to destroy. Butter is good. Killing the flavor that butter has is bad. (personal opinion)

What you throw into the mix is decided by what you currently have in the refrigerator. The 4 things I absolutely require are garlic, celery, green peppers, and onions. If I have a leftover rotisserie chicken, it's in. Some ham, why not? This IS a gumbo. The flavor of the soup should outweigh the difference. Parisienne carrots go in about 90% of the time, I just like round carrots. Add those with 1.5 hours left, 45 min if they are frozen.

I always start with a shrimp shell stock, so, I always have shrimp. This can be substituted by almost any seafood and some halfway decent stock. I will always add something smoky like a sausage or ham. If you can find a Tasso ham use that....very sparringly.

I keep my rice to the side. Some people throw it in, but I find it ruins the consistency of the soup. I use a rice cooker and leave it sticky. you can get good "hunks" of rice this way. A hard packed Ice cream scoop at the bottom of the bowl. Top with gumbo.

Don't trust me, I am just some italian guy from "the noth". If I were in your shoes I would ask someone south of the Mason-Dixon for assistance. :rolleyes:

[Howard Newell]

Ouch, where's your mancrush avatar?:confused:

[stobes21]

There are three absolutely necessary ingredients to a good gumbo: roux, homemade stock, and either (but not both) filé powder or okra. Armed with those three things, you do not need a recipe. You can experiment with the type of stock: chicken, fish, crab and shrimp stocks are traditional, but you could use any number of types here. And opinions differ about how dark your roux should be (I disagree with Ookla: a dark roux doesn't kill the flavor, it enhances it. He is right though that the darker the roux the less effective it is at thickening, but that's why you have the filé). I don't much like okra, so I use filé, but okra is perfectly acceptable as well.

Aw man, now you've got me thinking about gumbo. Damn I miss NOLA sometimes...

[verminaard510]

Actually, the most important ingredients to a good gumbo is Onions, Bellpepper, and Celery, the holy trinity of all Cajun cooking. The roux can be dark or light, i prefer dark and thick but thats just me. for a thicker gumbo you need just need to add more roux. Ive never had any type of stock in a gumbo.

[htownmmm]

]Actually, the most important ingredients to a good gumbo is Onions, Bellpepper, and Celery, the holy trinity of all Cajun cooking. [/B] The roux can be dark or light, i prefer dark and thick but thats just me. for a thicker gumbo you need just need to add more roux. Ive never had any type of stock in a gumbo.

how yall are and some more!


Marty

[ouch]

Uh-oh. I see a light roux/dark roux slap fight in the making.

http://badgerandblade.com/gallery/displayimage.php?imageid=11064

[ouch]

I like okra, and have some file powder (I always order extra-poisonous sassafras) on hand. I was unaware of the proscription against using both.

I have some chicken, andouille, and shrimp handy, so I should be pretty set.

[rabidpotatochip]

The best roux for gumbo is a brick roux, so named for its reddish color, but it really doesn't thicken much. Alton Brown made his roux in the oven in his gumbo episode, but I can't remember how he did it, just that it looked super easy (and that the nutty flour particles were funny).

I really like to use brown rice in my gumbo to add to the nutty flavor. And shrimp stock... get whole shrimp, peel and devein them and reserve everything. The shells (and heads) go into boiling water and become your stock. Drain and add to the gumbo, it adds a great flavor too.

I'm excited about this thread! :biggrin:

[boboakalfb]

I like okra, and have some file powder (I always order extra-poisonous sassafras) on hand. I was unaware of the proscription against using both.

I have some chicken, andouille, and shrimp handy, so I should be pretty set.

I really need to get the recipe from my friends grandmother. She makes both okra and file versions. She is from New Orleans and is very particular about her gumbo. When she comes out to visit she flies her pots out as well. :lol:

[Beast]

from Gumbo Pages:

http://www.gumbopages.com/food/soups/index.html

[Ookla The Mok]

The SUPPOSED best roux for gumbo is a brick roux, so named for its reddish color, but it really doesn't thicken much. Alton Brown made his roux in the oven in his gumbo episode, but I can't remember how he did it, just that it looked super easy (and that the nutty flour particles were funny).

I really like to use brown rice in my gumbo to add to the nutty flavor. And shrimp stock... get whole shrimp, peel and devein them and reserve everything. The shells (and heads) go into boiling water and become your stock. Drain and add to the gumbo, it adds a great flavor too.

I'm excited about this thread! :biggrin:

Just because Alton Brown said so, does not make it a fact. You can make a hell of a gumbo with no roux at all for the record.

[rabidpotatochip]

Just because Alton Brown said so, does not make it a fact. You can make a hell of a gumbo with no roux at all for the record.

I only mentioned Alton Brown's method for making it. The rest of the comment on roux is fully my own and I stand by it.

Edit: So there. :tongue:

[thirdeye]

[QUOTE=verminaard510;492032]This would be authentic Louisiana gumbo...the best!

http://www.realcajunrecipes.com/recipes/cajun/chicken-sausage-gumbo/1094.rcr

Im assuming that you do not have access to pre-made roux, this recipe shows you how to make the roux.

QUOTE]

Now that's a Gumbo recipe......ummmm ummmmm....:biggrin:

[ouch]

It looks decent and appears simple enough, but I have a tough time reconciling the notion of "chicken boullion cubes" and "best". :lol:

[Ookla The Mok]

The reason I stay away from a set recipe is the very reason people disagree about recipes. You just don't have the same taste as everyone else. IMHO you should take your time on soups and sauces and tailor them to your pallette. Giant pots are very tolerant of long simmer times.

[_JP_]

I'll share a few thoughts from Paul Prudhomme on Gumbo.

One philosophy that he has is to season a recipe every step of the way. The idea is that this builds dimensions of tastes and creates more complexity in tastes.

He starts by seasoning the chicken parts (preferably from a tough old hen or rooster) and then seasoning the floor that he dips it in. They are then fried in oil in a cast iron skillet over fairly high heat so that the chicken browns.

The chicken is removed and most of the oil drained from the skillet, reserving some to make the roux. That oil has some of the seasonings from the chicken in it. Flour is added and the roux is cooked until it is a dark red brown color, and which point part of the vegetables are added to it. Once again some seasoning is added.It's cooked further until the vegetables soften a bit (and the roux might turn almost black) and then it gets added to chicken stock (homemade) boiling in a pot. Add in the chicken parts, Andoulli sausage, more seasoning and the rest of the vegatables (once again, building on taste and texture). Simmer.

The end result is a dark Gumbo which is served on rice. If I can locate the recipe I'll go ahead and post it.

[Zeni]

I'll share a few thoughts from Paul Prudhomme on Gumbo.


I had a 'discussion' once were someone thought that Mr. Prudhomme was Dom Deluise.

[ScottS]

I've had great success with THIS (http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/104672)recipe from epicurious, cutting it in half. I use off the shelf creole seasoning, though

[htownmmm]

I had a 'discussion' once were someone thought that Mr. Prudhomme was Dom Deluise.

You mean they aren't the same person?:confused::wink:

Great recipes BTW.

Marty

[boboakalfb]

One philosophy that he has is to season a recipe every step of the way. The idea is that this builds dimensions of tastes and creates more complexity in tastes.

This applies to all cooking. You just can't season at the end and get the same results. Great point to bring up.

[rabidpotatochip]

This applies to all cooking. You just can't season at the end and get the same results. Great point to bring up.

I think that's because some seasonings really don't survive the cooking process that well. Salt seems like it can go in at any time, but most fresh herbs do better near the end of cooking.

[BroJohn]

file Gumbo. . . Mmmmmm...

Looks like a weekend project.

-- John Gehman

[Bradford]

Don't bother unless you have filé powder on hand.

[boboakalfb]

I think that's because some seasonings really don't survive the cooking process that well. Salt seems like it can go in at any time, but most fresh herbs do better near the end of cooking.

I agree...fresh herbs work differently than dried. Fresh herbs are suited better towards the end. I do disagree with you on the salt comment though. Salt should be used as a seasoning in stages as well during the different processes. If you just wait to the very end and add it at that time, it won't be the same.

[DanOK]

Gumbo was the best means of using leftovers in the kitchens of my family when I was growing up in Louisiana. This did not preclude fresh items such as seafood, dove, duck, squirrel, and chicken, but bits of ham and hambone, or turkey carcass, or just about anything in the ice box could be used in making gumbo. Gumbo comes from the word "quingombo" which means okra and okra can be used in part as a thickening agent and cooked with the gumbo. File is powdered sassafras leaf (used by the Choctaw Indians) which is also added, in part, as a thickener but AFTER the gumbo is removed from the heat.

I do not, nor remember, anyone in our family using both file and okra at the same time. But cooking is a matter of your taste and your enjoyment, if you like it why not. One of my grandmothers used okra and the other used file.

Most of the recipes I have seen in this thread are find for a good pot of gumbo. Its the variations that will make it your own. Example, when making chicken gumbo I take about two links of a Chicago style Italian sausage, remove the casting and brown them in the pot I will use for browning the chicken and making my roux. When the gumbo has been put together and is ready to simmer I add the sausage bits back. My favorite gumbo remains duck.

I believe gumbo is best served over hot white rice in a large flat soup bowl. My wife, who is from Wisconsin, doesn't really under stand the rice thing. Of course if I'm cooking it won't be mashed potatoes and gravy it will be rice and gravy. If we are really lucky it will be squirrel gravy.

What a great state for a childhood. Louisiana truly is a Sportmans Paradise.

[_JP_]

I think that's because some seasonings really don't survive the cooking process that well. Salt seems like it can go in at any time, but most fresh herbs do better near the end of cooking.

In the case of gumbo it really isn't fresh herb seasoning, it's what I refer to as "sneezonings," which is mostly a combination of peppers. Some of that mixture is added to the flour for the chicken, some more is added after the roux is made and the vegetables are added, and more added with the stock. Same sneezsonings added at different stages of the cooking process, which produces slightly different results and builds complexity in the taste.

[professorchaos]

Aw man, now you've got me thinking about gumbo. Damn I miss NOLA sometimes...

+1

As for the Gumbo, first you make a roux...


I think that's because some seasonings really don't survive the cooking process that well. Salt seems like it can go in at any time, but most fresh herbs do better near the end of cooking.

This is why many Cajun/Creole cooks season twice. Take for instance a chicken and andouille gumbo. You make the roux, add the trinity and then season (file, cayenne and salt). Then you add the stock and bay leaf, bring it to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook until the starchy roux flavor is gone. Add the chicken and andouille and season again file, cayenne and salt. Both seasonings are essential to a tasty Gumbo. The first is cooked in and gives a rounder, more full flavor. The second is for the flavor of the seasonings. Finish with a little (or a lot) of hot sauce and put it in the fridge for three or four days.