Gumbo

**shafferpilot** · 09-15-2011, 09:17 PM

Anyone have specific tricks or unique ingredients they use for their Gumbo?

FireBrew63 · 09-15-2011, 09:32 PM

The freshest seafood you can find with hot and spicy sausage links. We catch our own crab and muscles near my house and cook the same day. The shrimp and scallops we get from a local market. Can't remember the exact spices, will ask SWMBO, but I know there's gumbo file and cumin involved. We also serve ours over jasmine rice.

trevor_b · 09-15-2011, 10:03 PM

Any seafood gumbo recipes would be great! I've been looking for some good recipes.

Sorry to hijack the thread. Continue.

Wetfoot · 09-16-2011, 03:51 AM

The roux. I think its the most important thing. You need to be patient and careful, make a really dark, but not burnt, roux. That deep flavor, along with everything else, separates Gumbo from all the other soups and stews.

The other thing to keep in mind is that you don't make a gumbo, you have a gumbo. Its about friends and family - don't get too wrapped up with cultural authenticity.

Brek81 · 09-16-2011, 04:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wetfoot

The roux. I think its the most important thing. You need to be patient and careful, make a really dark, but not burnt, roux. That deep flavor, along with everything else, separates Gumbo from all the other soups and stews.

The other thing to keep in mind is that you don't make a gumbo, you have a gumbo. Its about friends and family - don't get too wrapped up with cultural authenticity.

+1 on both counts

I've found that you can make roux a slightly different way and still get the same effect. I do it by toasting the flour in the oven on a cookie sheet (no oil) about 350f, just stir it every 15-20 min till it gets pretty roasty. fyi It will get a lot darker when you add the oil.

**rhamilton** · 09-16-2011, 04:11 AM

The roux is key. And slower you cook it, the better it is.

Also slowly boil a whole chicken with a bit of salt and herbs to make your own broth, discard the skin and readd the shredded chicken.

also, don't forget okra : D

**jiggs_casey** · 09-16-2011, 04:28 AM

The roux, absolutely... Not roux from a jar. Oil, flour, time...

**arturo7** · 09-16-2011, 07:08 AM

Make your own stock. Use andouille sausage. I use one stick of butter plus one cup of flour for the roux. I stir 'dat roux in a frying pan over medium-low heat fir a least 45 minutes.

Use either filet or okra or both, they add to the thickness. If you use filet, put it in at flame out.

Once the roux happy, I add it to chopped and sweated onion, celery, and garlic. Toss in the stock and stir over high heat for a minute or two. Then add any and all other ingredients (excepting shrimp) and bring to a boil. Once you have a nice rolling boil, crank the heat back to a steady simmer.

After about an hour, I add the filet (I hates okra) and transfer it to a crock pot to let it hang out on low until serving. If you can manage to let it hang for an hour or two, lawdy lawdy, you got some fiine gumbo!

**rhamilton** · 09-16-2011, 01:57 PM

Also,

I like to add a few tins of smoked oysters you can find near the canned tuna at the store. They also have jumbo oysters that are in a jar but I haven't tried them yet.

**Pappers_** · 09-16-2011, 02:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rhamilton

Also,

I like to add a few tins of smoked oysters you can find near the canned tuna at the store. They also have jumbo oysters that are in a jar but I haven't tried them yet.

Smoked oysters in gumbo sounds great! They would go great with the okra!