food Gumbo time
- Thread starter Ozzy2001
- Start date
Finished pics please!
GUMBO!!! Did I here Gumbo? It's almost the season to make at least one a week. I really don't wait for it to cool down either, I eat it year round even when it's 95 outside, that's what A/C is for.
Who makes roux anymore when you can buy it? Unless you can't I guess. I use Savoi's Roux. You can order it from Wally World. https://www.walmart.com/ip/Savoie-s-Real-Cajun-Old-Fashioned-Roux-32-oz/10321904
Gotta have okra? We in Cajun Country(Acadiana) smoother okra compared to sliced raw okra like Na Orleans. I had a good okra season and it's still going but the freezer has about 50 packs of smothered okra. I also eat it over rice or as a side dish.
Here's a magazine from the local power company that has some recipes, scroll down past the gumbo articles to find recipes.
https://www.slemco.com/uploads/NOVDEC16.pdf
Now I'm craving gumbo, maybe tonight it will happen.
Who makes roux anymore when you can buy it? Unless you can't I guess. I use Savoi's Roux. You can order it from Wally World. https://www.walmart.com/ip/Savoie-s-Real-Cajun-Old-Fashioned-Roux-32-oz/10321904
Gotta have okra? We in Cajun Country(Acadiana) smoother okra compared to sliced raw okra like Na Orleans. I had a good okra season and it's still going but the freezer has about 50 packs of smothered okra. I also eat it over rice or as a side dish.
Here's a magazine from the local power company that has some recipes, scroll down past the gumbo articles to find recipes.
https://www.slemco.com/uploads/NOVDEC16.pdf
Now I'm craving gumbo, maybe tonight it will happen.
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You buy your roux? I didn't know people did that. Not judging. 
Sure do and you can't tell the difference and there a few companies and colors to chose from. It's all made here local and they know what we like. Besides once you burn a roux and have to smell it for a few days you'll know why it's easier and quicker to just buy it and lets not forget to mention it's like molten lava so everyone needs to be careful not burn themselves.
Did I mention it's really really hot?
Did I mention it's really really hot?
I'm not against semi-homemade but I could see some people against it, like buying pizza dough and saying you made a pizza 
. Such an important ingredient to get right, and you buy it.
. Such an important ingredient to get right, and you buy it. HAHA! It's just burnt flour and taste nasty. I don't know anyone who makes roux anymore.
The important part of a gumbo is how you cook the roux after making it. It's really boiling the roux once you add stock or water but you have to boil it long enough that it will start to bubble and will overflow the pot. That's when all the flour taste is cooked out of it and you then season the roux and set it to a slow boil for at least 15 minutes before adding anything else.
I know some people add the veggies to the roux to cool it down and cook the veggies but I don't. That's the beauty of a gumbo, it's really hard to mess it up and you can add anything to it.
Next time I cook a gumbo I'll do a pictorial of how I do it so you can see what I mean about the roux boiling over and the process I do.
The important part of a gumbo is how you cook the roux after making it. It's really boiling the roux once you add stock or water but you have to boil it long enough that it will start to bubble and will overflow the pot. That's when all the flour taste is cooked out of it and you then season the roux and set it to a slow boil for at least 15 minutes before adding anything else.
I know some people add the veggies to the roux to cool it down and cook the veggies but I don't. That's the beauty of a gumbo, it's really hard to mess it up and you can add anything to it.
Next time I cook a gumbo I'll do a pictorial of how I do it so you can see what I mean about the roux boiling over and the process I do.
Is file powder cheating?
Nope, just another ingredient to build a "Layer of Flavors". Did you know you can use File or okra as a base instead of a flour roux?
I'm craving gumbo now.
I don't question anyone's cooking from NOLA. That's one region in the country where the food is legit, and a lot was born out of necessity, so shortcuts can easily be a part of it.
Yeah, a lot of Cajuns and Creole use premade roux these days. But I pride myself in being able to make a great roux without catching the house or myself on fire. lol. It's a point of pride for a lot of us. My brother on the other hand will use as many pre-made mixes as he can to cut time short.
hot stuff said:
For me its a gas vs. charcoal or bbq vs. sous vide thing. Making a roux is fun and part of the experience for me.