GUMBO!

[majorminor]

Evan made me feel bad yesterday about even suggesting I do "something Italian" with some boutique andouille I was given so I decided to go home and whip up some gumbo. Every time I make gumbo I ask myself "Steve why is it you don't have a 5 gallon jug of this stuff on hand at all times"? I would drink it out of a bottle with a nipple if it wasn't so chunky.

This is in a hurry gumbo using premade roux and chicken stock. Half hour of chopping and an hour of simmering.

Coat chicken tenders in Bayou Dust and olive oil and cook that and the andouille in the Ninja air fryer. Remember everyone has one in their basement in a box right?




While that's happening start chopping a few garlic cloves, 1ea onions, 1ea bell pepper, and 6 stalks celery and get the onion cooking in melted butter in the bottom of the soup pot. A little brown char is good.

Then get two of those 32oz containers of chicken stock simmering in there with the onion and chop and add the other veggies.
The 15 minute timer for the chicken and sausage should be dinging about now so chop those up and throw 'em in the pot with all the drippings and add some more Bayou Dust, black pepper, and garlic salt to taste



Evan will cringe but for those of us who avoid making gumbo because of the time and boredom with making that brown charred flour roux they make a perfectly fine jarred sauce. Add about 4 big tablespoons of this:



While that's all simmering start peeling shrimp. Mine were precook jumbo size so I cut them up in to thirds.

After about an hour of simmer or when the bell peppers are a little soft remove from heat until the boil stops and just drop the shrimp in and 4 table spoons or so of file powder.
Stir, put the lid back on. and let it cool on the stove for a half hour or so. If it's still a little thin add some more file powder.

It most definitely did not suck

[theevan]

Bravo, Steve!

[Village Idiot]

Wow, that looks great to me. Really good. I'm going to look for the Bayou Dust, but I do get a kick out of making my own roux, mostly because it's something I can do.

I like my gumbo thick. I usually use dry beans, but to save time a can or two of black-eyed peas really thickens a gumbo up.

[billhammond]

Feb 1, 2024 18:06:54 GMT -5 Village Idiot said:

Wow, that looks great to me. Really good. I'm going to look for the Bayou Dust, but I do get a kick out of making my own roux, mostly because it's something I can do.

I burned a roux once years and years ago, and the stink it created has never left my memory. I can't make them anymore.

Fortunately I can ingest them just fine if someone else makes them!

[Village Idiot]

Roux is one thing I've done many times and haven't messed up, so I'm going to call it something I can do and go with that. A blind friend of mine told me years ago that his secret is to turn on some good music and whisk away non-stop for seven minutes and that works out. I've followed that for a long time and by golly it works.

[amanajoe]

I have a jar of flié powder for gumbo that needs to get a work out one of these days.

[howard lee]

Feb 1, 2024 21:08:23 GMT -5 amanajoe said:

I have a jar of flié powder for gumbo that needs to get a work out one of these days.

The French version:

Just kidding. Steve, that gumbo looks seriously delicious.

[Marshall]

Feb 1, 2024 18:06:54 GMT -5 Village Idiot said:

I like my gumbo thick. I usually use dry beans, but to save time a can or two of black-eyed peas really thickens a gumbo up.

[Tamarack]

I think I’m gonna order some of that roux. Do I recommend the dark or light roux?

[majorminor]

Feb 2, 2024 11:02:31 GMT -5 Tamarack said:

I think I’m gonna order some of that roux. Do I recommend the dark or light roux?

I've only used the dark but seems like the way to go to me. Gumbo should be darker and smokier etc. I've made my own roux before and stir until it's about that color.

[Cosmic Wonder]

Mike

[theevan]

Feb 1, 2024 18:06:54 GMT -5 Village Idiot said:

Wow, that looks great to me. Really good. I'm going to look for the Bayou Dust, but I do get a kick out of making my own roux, mostly because it's something I can do.

I like my gumbo thick. I usually use dry beans, but to save time a can or two of black-eyed peas really thickens a gumbo up.

Beans in Gumbo?

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

[majorminor]

Feb 2, 2024 11:28:14 GMT -5 theevan said:

Feb 1, 2024 18:06:54 GMT -5 Village Idiot said:

Wow, that looks great to me. Really good. I'm going to look for the Bayou Dust, but I do get a kick out of making my own roux, mostly because it's something I can do.

I like my gumbo thick. I usually use dry beans, but to save time a can or two of black-eyed peas really thickens a gumbo up.

Beans in Gumbo?

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

My pics above is right before I added the filet which is supposed to thicken things up to a more stew like gravy thing. I had read a bunch of warnings about how easy it is to overdo filet and screw things up and a little goes a long way. Mine thickened up a little but was still a little more heavy soup-like. I might experiment with a little corn starch at the end next time. I don't know if I've ever actually seen raw whole okra around here. Apparently that's added in some recipes and causes thickening?

[theevan]

Feb 2, 2024 11:02:31 GMT -5 Tamarack said:

I think I’m gonna order some of that roux. Do I recommend the dark or light roux?

My preference would be the dark. I like the flavor. Toasted wheat underpinnings, for real.

But the dark has less thickening power.

For proper thickening, file powder is my preference. Love the flavor too.

My favorite recipe is by John Folse. www.jfolse.com/recipes/soups/chicken17.htm

Skip the mushrooms. Using the Savoie's (Sahv-wahz), get it good and hot without burning before adding the diced veggies. Then follow the recipe through. A stewing hen, while sometimes harder to find, actually makes a better gumbo...deeper flavor. I also recommend boiling the hen and picking the meat beforehand because the resultant broth is better and way cheaper (free) than store bought broth. The quality of the sausage is all important. Andouille is not an absolute requirement. Smoked sausage is okay but it better be good. Don't know what's available in Grand Rabbits.

You can serve over medium grain rice or many folks here serve it over a scoop of potato salad.

[theevan]

Oh, the Savoie's is instead of the oil and flour in Folse's recipe.

[Village Idiot]

Feb 2, 2024 11:28:14 GMT -5 theevan said:

Feb 1, 2024 18:06:54 GMT -5 Village Idiot said:

Wow, that looks great to me. Really good. I'm going to look for the Bayou Dust, but I do get a kick out of making my own roux, mostly because it's something I can do.

I like my gumbo thick. I usually use dry beans, but to save time a can or two of black-eyed peas really thickens a gumbo up.

Beans in Gumbo?

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

I learned that from people I know from Jackson Mississippi.

[theevan]

Feb 2, 2024 13:55:16 GMT -5 Village Idiot said:

Feb 2, 2024 11:28:14 GMT -5 theevan said:

Beans in Gumbo?

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

I learned that from people I know from Jackson Mississippi.

Who were originally from Wisconsin, right?

[howard lee]

Thanks for reminding me of this old chestnut.

[billhammond]

[John B]

I can leave out the seafood, right? It might not be real gumbo (and it wouldn't be because my first stabs will involve roux in a jar), but at least it's not chili with beans, right?