Yea lighter is OK, burnt is not.
If you are familiar with roux:
Darker than etouffee roux, slightly lighter than a dark gravy roux
Attached is SWMBO's quick gumbo recipe. It gets better with age and freezes well so it's a good option if you are only cooking for 2 or 3 like I am. You can use canned roux or make your own -- no real difference. The recipe calles for 'healthy' options but feel free to go 'full-flavor' if SWMBO will let you
Emily’s Healthy Chicken & Sausage Gumbo Recipe
~ means around/approximately…because I don’t ever really measure.
Ingredients:
1 whole cut up chicken. Try to find one with the heart/liver/gizzards!
1 pkg sausage of your choice (I like Richard’s—either the low sodium pork or the turkey)
~4 onions—chopped
~2-3 bell peppers—chopped (at least 1 green, be creative with the others)
~2-3 stalks celery—chopped
~8-10 cloves of garlic—chopped
~ - ˝ container of powdered roux
~1 Tbsp dried thyme—more or less depending on your tastes
~2-3 dried bay leaves
1 bunch green onions (just the green part on top)
--Don’t throw away the green onion bottoms. If you wrap a damp paper towel around the roots or put
them in a cup of water in the fridge, they will grow and you can keep using them for several weeks
Salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper—to taste
~ - ˝ bunch fresh parsley OR ~2 Tbsp dried parsley
1) Put chicken pieces into a big pot and cover the chicken with water. Bring to a boil & salt the water (but not til it
boils). Let the chicken boil for about 10-15 minutes (the chicken doesn’t need to be cooked all the way) & pull
the chicken out of the stock and let it cool. Keep the stock on the stove at a simmer. Once the chicken is cool
enough, pick all the meat away from the skin & bones. Don’t add it back to the pot right away.
2) Meanwhile, (while the chicken is boiling) chop your onion, bell pepper, celery, garlic.
3) Mix the powdered roux with a little cold water and stir til its smooth & add it to the hot stock. Make sure to
whisk it really well so there aren’t any lil lumps. Keep it at a simmer.
4) Ok, now you have a choice (I really don’t notice a difference in the taste either way).
a. If you want it to be ready sooner…sauté your onion, bell pepper & celery in a little olive oil until they’re
translucent. Don’t add the chopped garlic until the other veggies are almost done or it will get bitter. Add
cooked veggies to stock/roux mixture.
b. OR…if you aren’t in a hurry… just dump all the raw chopped veggies into the stock/roux mixture and let
them cook til they are soft.
5) Add the thyme & bay leaves. Keep on a’simmerin.
6) You have options with the sausage too. You can just slice it and dump it in or you can slice it, brown it, and then
add it (I personally prefer it browned).
7) Add the chicken meat & let it simmer for a few more minutes. Taste it for seasoning, add what you want.
8) About 10-15 minutes before you are ready to eat, add the green onion and the parsley.
9) Serve over rice.
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