548 replies to this topic

[hwilson41]

That sounds good. No okra but roux for a gumbo with shrimp, oysters and crab, i.e. seafood gumbo works well. Your sausage might overpower a seafood gumbo, in my experience, so go slow with that, to me.

Well, even though I've eaten gumbo most of my life (grew up in Texas), I'm still pretty low on the learning curve when it comes to making it. Based on advice from Mayhaw Man, I get my Andouille here . It is very, very good , and I just ordered a fresh batch today. It's not as spicy as I thought I remembered from the old days when I still lived in Texas, but that's probably just one more vestige of an aging mind . Anyway, thanks for the help. Sounds like I should just jump in and try it. After all, if you start out with shrimp, andouille, oysters and blue crab, how far wrong can you go ? Thanks again.

THW

[My Confusing Horoscope]

That sounds good. No okra but roux for a gumbo with shrimp, oysters and crab, i.e. seafood gumbo works well. Your sausage might overpower a seafood gumbo, in my experience, so go slow with that, to me.

Well, even though I've eaten gumbo most of my life (grew up in Texas), I'm still pretty low on the learning curve when it comes to making it. Based on advice from Mayhaw Man, I get my Andouille here . It is very, very good , and I just ordered a fresh batch today. It's not as spicy as I thought I remembered from the old days when I still lived in Texas, but that's probably just one more vestige of an aging mind . Anyway, thanks for the help. Sounds like I should just jump in and try it. After all, if you start out with shrimp, andouille, oysters and blue crab, how far wrong can you go ? Thanks again.

THW

There's many ways to make it good! There's no one way or right way, that's for sure! Just better and less good. Come to think of it, even when I say we made it like that in Vermilion parish, our neighbors and relatives didn't make it just the same!

[Chris Amirault]

Actually I WANT to make sausages.
My husband and I have been having fun with the sausage maker I got him for his birthday. I guess we could also smoke them, with the smoker I got him for our anniversary two years ago....

Yeah! That's what I'm talkin' about!

Make 'em! Smoke 'em! Cook 'em! Avec photos, mais oui, mon cher!

A true eGullet Recipe Cook-Off long-distance dedication to Kristin, y'all!!

[Chris Amirault]

A friend that grew up in Houma told me about the family and local tradition of poaching eggs in bubbling gumbo. The egg is served on a mound of rice and the gumbo spooned around. That was news to me. Goes to show you that you can learn something new every day.

I knew that there was a way to serve gumbo for breakfast!

[artisan02]

Gross-out alert:

for novices, a couple of pointers. Take up the offer of the jar roux if you have young children. You cannot break up a fight or wipe up blood when you are in the middle of a roux.

Just to second, once again, that bit of advice. The stuff ain't just as hot as frying oil can get; it also bonds to whatever it hits, especially skin. It's bad news.

So, if one is inclined to find jarred roux, where would one find it? Especially in a place like southern California?

Not that I would use it but if I need that option, I want to know where I might look. I am thinking of joining this project.

[fifi]

I knew that there was a way to serve gumbo for breakfast! 

That is exactly what we did. The guys were over for the weekend and we had had gumbo the day before. This was served with biscuits . . . oh my.

So, if one is inclined to find jarred roux, where would one find it? Especially in a place like southern California?

Not that I would use it but if I need that option, I want to know where I might look.  I am thinking of joining this project.

I find jarred roux on the very bottom shelf in the spice area of the grocery. I use it. It is darned handy when you aren't prepared to go whole hog with making your own and quenching veggies and such. You can still make a darned fine gumbo using it as you would any other thickener.

[Mayhaw Man]

Gross-out alert:

for novices, a couple of pointers. Take up the offer of the jar roux if you have young children. You cannot break up a fight or wipe up blood when you are in the middle of a roux.

Just to second, once again, that bit of advice. The stuff ain't just as hot as frying oil can get; it also bonds to whatever it hits, especially skin. It's bad news.

.

In Paul Prudhomme's kitchen, where many of my friends have worked (and enjoyed working) over the years, they call it Cajun Napalm. The stuff hurts. Really. Really bad. Takes the skin right off.

[Chris Amirault]

Hmmm.... I'm a bit afraid that some people are going to bail on our gumbo cook-off because of all of this fear-mongering. Since I contributed to it greatly, I would like to say the following:

If you are on eGullet and thus, presumably, know how to use a sharp knife, how to open a pot of boiling water, how to take something out of a 500F oven, and so on, safely, you probably possess the ability to stir a pot with really hot shit in it for 30 minutes. N'cest pas?

So go for it! Just be careful, give yourself plenty of time, have your trinity meez nearby, make sure that the dog/kid/Tonka truck/ball bearings aren't underfoot, and put a Dixie on ice for the instant you're done.

Besides, if you get a burn, you'll have a wicked cool scar and can post on the "I will never again..." thread.

[fifi]

A wise post indeed, chrisamirault. There are some great safety tips here and they should be recognized. But if we get so risk averse that we won't make gumbo, well . . . we should go back to our caves and gnaw on that raw haunch. Like frying turkeys, it can be done safely as long as you know what you are dealing with.

[fou de Bassan]

I'm looking forward to this one! Hot grease and flour, knives and meat... what more could a girl ask for? Won't be able to get started until this weekend though. The anticipation will only make the gumbo sweeter.

[patti]

Gross-out alert:

for novices, a couple of pointers. Take up the offer of the jar roux if you have young children. You cannot break up a fight or wipe up blood when you are in the middle of a roux.

Just to second, once again, that bit of advice. The stuff ain't just as hot as frying oil can get; it also bonds to whatever it hits, especially skin. It's bad news.

So, if one is inclined to find jarred roux, where would one find it? Especially in a place like southern California?

Not that I would use it but if I need that option, I want to know where I might look. I am thinking of joining this project.

How 'bout right here: Roux

[Cusina]

Bought my andouille from the butcher yesterday (I have the best sausage butcher within walking distance, very lucky.) and a bunch of chicken thighs. I'm goin' in! I'd love to use the jarred roux, but I doubt if it will be in the stores here. I'll report with casualties and results tomorrow. I live for danger.

Edited for spelling.

Edited by Cusina, 08 February 2005 - 10:34 AM.

[highchef]

It's fat tuesday and gumbo's are all over the place, literally lining the parade routes. I'm starting on mine in a little.
speaking of what to serve with the gumbo, I know lots of cajuns who drop a hard boiled egg down in the bowl, and I know lots who put their potato salad in the middle of the whole thing. I think this evolved from trying to eat on horseback though, cause it's mostly the more rural friends who's families eat it that way. It's an aquired taste. The egg business isn't bad though.... but the file makes the yolk a funny grey/green. Be careful out there, don't let the napalm talk scare you, it's not that hard, just don't let yourself be distracted. I get to see my friends parents today and they'll be telling their stories. The last thing they always say is remember mass tomorrow!! They're always afraid we'll be so hung over we'll blow it off. No way, it's a part of Lent, smelling the burbon left over from the night before...

[FistFullaRoux]

To recap and just to clarify, there are different types of gumbo, just like there are different kinds of chocolate. They are similar, but they taste different, and are usually prepared differently.

Most gumbos (in south Louisiana) are served with French bread, potato salad, and hot white rice.

Okra - What many people think is the traditional gumbo, it is made with okra at the heart of it, giving the dish it's flavor and texture. It is a more delicate flavor. Shrimp and chicken, either one with sausage, are the most common meat components. It gives a light green to gray result, with a thickened stock that is more like a stew, having a lot of vegetable material cooked down in it. It's a lighter dish than the other versions and does not include the use of file'.

Roux based - This is the preference of a lot of people. The roux itself can be anywhere from the light side of medium to a stunningly dark. As the roux darkens, it creates more of a caramalized or even burnt flavor. The darker the roux, the more bitter it is. The bitterness is usually balanced out with the rest of the ingredients, so be careful. When in doubt, go for a lighter roux. We've covered the color stages.
A roux based gumbo can contain nearly anything - wild birds, turkey, chicken, fresh or smoked sausage, small wild game (rabbits and even squirrel), crabs, shrimp, and greens. Some people either poach an egg in the liquid, or drop in a previously hard boiled egg to let it soak up some of the goodness of a roux based gumbo. The egg does not add to the flavor of the dish, it serves to give another protien source, or something to eat the stock with, if the meat has been picked out - a rather common occurrence. File' is sometimes added at the table.

Handling leftovers - If you are lucky, you will have some left. Gumbo is even better the next day, providing you follow a few guidelines. Store the rice and stock seperately, otherwise you get a gummy mess. I've found the best reheating method to be the microwave, especially with dark rouxs. They tend to burn without really careful supervision of the reheating process. The gumbo will be thicker after a rest in the fridge, but resist the urge to add water. When it heats up, it should return to where it was the day before. The rice can be reheated in the gumbo itself, if you are microwaving single serving. Otherwise, the rice alone can be reheated in the microwave after dripping a tablespoon of water over it. It can also be steamed to renew it.

Gumbo, whether okra or roux, is probably the preferred comfort food for most Cajuns. For that reason, feelings run strong about it. More than regional differences, family traditions and personal taste dictate how and when the gumbo is made, and what the cook puts in it. The only things that okra and roux gumbos have in common are the rice, the trinity, and the pot they are cooked in.

I too have been a bit of a fearmonger regarding rouxs. They are dangerous, but no more than frying chicken or handling a pizza stone. If you are careful, you should be fine. But you must be careful, and be sure you have everything ready for the second the roux gets to the proper stage. The roux waits for no one, and cannot be reversed.

Also, if you take the same basic roux based recipe, and adjust the seasonings for a lot less water, that same technique makes a wonderful stew, also served over rice - no file'. That stew can be made with beef tips, meatballs, chicken, shrimp, or even just eggs. You may want to go with a lighter roux, since the roux's flavor is more pronounced in the stew version. In my family, it was called fricasse (but pronounced free-KAH-say).

I really do hope everyone gives this a try.

[Cusina]

Will someone please illuminate me? What is the correct phonetic pronounciation of andouille? My cheesehead butcher, well, I think he butchered it (on-duel). I've always thought it to be An-doo-ee. Is this right?

[FistFullaRoux]

Will someone please illuminate me?  What is the correct phonetic pronounciation of andouille?  My cheesehead butcher, well, I think he butchered it (on-duel).  I've always thought it to be An-doo-ee.  Is this right?

Yours is right, with the emphasis on the second syllable.

[Jambalyle]

Thanks for the thread... I am drooling all over my keyboard and am really psyched for my Fat Tuesday dinner tonight. While not as far away from New Orleans as some of our other readers, I wish I was there the thick of it. I'll have to make due tonight at CreoLa in San Carlos (www.creolabistro.com).
Happy Fat Tuesday... bon appetit!

PS: Keep it up. I want to jump in with some recipes from the Double Musky Inn, Girdwood Alaska - home of Real Alaska Mountain Cajun.

[Smithy]

So, if one is inclined to find jarred roux, where would one find it? Especially in a place like southern California?

Not that I would use it but if I need that option, I want to know where I might look.   I am thinking of joining this project.

How 'bout right here: Roux

Holeey smokes! Just when I thought all the bases had been covered (and finely summarized, thanks to Fist), I look at that CajunGrocer web page and find a Cajun-style roux offered...in addition to "Old-Fashioned" dark roux, light roux, and a couple of "instant" roux. (Aren't these all supposed to be "instant"?)

Folks in the know, what exactly would a Cajun-style roux be, if not a traditional roux? What color is it likely to be? And BTW, what would be more instant about the instant roux than the other jarred roux?

Not that I'm planning to buy roux; I'm looking forward to living dangerously soon. Let's see...dog asleep, cats drugged, it might work.

Edited to correct an attribution, although really, there are several excellent expositions in this thread...

Edited by Smithy, 08 February 2005 - 02:47 PM.

[NulloModo]

I've been thinking about other things I have around which I could put into my gumbo: how do you think chicken livers would be? Is there any precedence for using organ meats in gumbo, or is it just not done?

[FistFullaRoux]

I've been thinking about other things I have around which I could put into my gumbo:  how do you think chicken livers would be?  Is there any precedence for using organ meats in gumbo, or is it just not done?

Organ meant, no. There are other uses for them. You wouldn't necessarily make Liver Au Vin, would you?

If you want the Cajun version of an organ meat dish, try just browning them off, then deglaze with a little onion and a very little chicken stock or water to make a gravy. Serve., like everything else, over rice. This is Rice and Gravy, which may just rival gumbo for it's popularity. Rice and gravy can be made with anything that will brown in a pan.

Edited to say - I just re-read the question. You can add chicken liver and gizzards to gumbos, yes, it is done, and they are good. My bad. You could do duck as well, but I wouldn't attempt foie gras in gumbo. I read that as calve's liver, etc.

In general, beef/veal or pork are only added to gumbo in the form of sausage.

Edited by FistFullaRoux, 08 February 2005 - 12:06 PM.

[FistFullaRoux]

So, if one is inclined to find jarred roux, where would one find it? Especially in a place like southern California?

Not that I would use it but if I need that option, I want to know where I might look.   I am thinking of joining this project.

How 'bout right here: Roux

Holeey smokes! Just when I thought all the bases had been covered (and finely summarized, thanks to Chris), I look at that CajunGrocer web page and find a Cajun-style roux offered...in addition to "Old-Fashioned" dark roux, light roux, and a couple of "instant" roux. (Aren't these all supposed to be "instant"?)

Folks in the know, what exactly would a Cajun-style roux be, if not a traditional roux? What color is it likely to be? And BTW, what would be more instant about the instant roux than the other jarred roux?

Not that I'm planning to buy roux; I'm looking forward to living dangerously soon. Let's see...dog asleep, cats drugged, it might work.

Instant rouxs are cooked flour without the addition of oil. They work, but I don't care for them.

The difference between Cajun Style and Dark Roux is that the dark roux is darker. Same stuff, just not cooked as long as the dark. Add any of these products at room temperature to boiling water/stock/etc.

[patti]

Holeey smokes!  Just when I thought all the bases had been covered (and finely summarized, thanks to Chris), I look at that CajunGrocer web page and find a Cajun-style roux offered...in addition to "Old-Fashioned" dark roux, light roux, and a couple of "instant" roux. (Aren't these all supposed to be "instant"?)

Folks in the know, what exactly would a Cajun-style roux be, if not a traditional roux?  What color is it likely to be? And BTW, what would be more instant about the instant roux than the other jarred roux?

Not that I'm planning to buy roux; I'm looking forward to living dangerously soon.  Let's see...dog asleep, cats drugged, it might work.

The difference between "Cajun-style" roux and traditional roux is simply the name the vendor has chosen to give it. Ya gotta have a marketing angle, don't you? It's also a locally made, authentically Cajun trademarked product.

The so-called instant, powdered rouxs are another marketing angle, aimed at people who are trying to choose 'healthier' foods and want to use less oil in cooking. The flour is toasted and supposedly no oil is needed. Hey, Cajun vendors follow trends, too. They want to cash in on as many markets as they can.

Edited to add: Alternatively, it's what FistFullaRoux said.

Edited by patti, 08 February 2005 - 12:32 PM.

[Smithy]

Ahh, a light is starting to dawn. I've been pondering flour as a thickener - in the roux, with oil, or toasted as in the 'instant' roux (thanks for the explanations) - and comparing it with my own flour slurry method of thickening some sauces. It's the *cooking* of the flour that makes the flavor difference, and that will happen only if the flour is toasted or cooked in oil...in other words, its temperature has to come above the boiling point of water, which is why the slurry thickener won't get the same effect...

<Clunks self upside the head> OK, y'all can laugh now at my grasp of the obvious. This is a wonderfully educational thread!

[Jambalyle]

Back to andouille...

I've ordered from Jacob's in (LaPlace) and had it shipped to CA for an event. The party was a blast and the andouille was a tasty and "authentic" success. But just how does it stack up to other andouille producers?

Edited by Jambalyle, 08 February 2005 - 12:58 PM.

[FistFullaRoux]

Ahh, a light is starting to dawn.  I've been pondering flour as a thickener - in the roux, with oil, or toasted as in the 'instant' roux (thanks for the explanations) - and comparing it with my own flour slurry method of thickening some sauces.  It's the *cooking* of the flour that makes the flavor difference, and that will happen only if the flour is toasted or cooked in oil...in other words, its temperature has to come above the boiling point of water, which is why the slurry thickener won't get the same effect...

<Clunks self upside the head> OK, y'all can laugh now at my grasp of the obvious.  This is a wonderfully educational thread!

There ya go. I should have explained it like that. It's a leap i made years ago, I just assumed that everyone else knew that too....

whoops.

[fifi]

I have schlepped andouille home from several suppliers and, with a very few exceptions that I don't remember, they were all good. I have started seeing the "big names" as in Emeril and Aidell in the grocery stores and they may be marketing outside of the southeast. I didn't think theirs was coarse ground enough although the seasoning was ok. One thing I like about andouille is the texture the coarse grind gets after simmering for a while. Another major brand that might be more widely available is, surprisingly enough, Tony Chachere's. I found that at the not so big local Kroger of all places. It was also surprisingly good.

[My Confusing Horoscope]

I've been thinking about other things I have around which I could put into my gumbo:  how do you think chicken livers would be?  Is there any precedence for using organ meats in gumbo, or is it just not done?

Use chicken livers in rice dressing/dirty rice. That would be an entirely different thread.

[hwilson41]

I have schlepped andouille home from several suppliers and, with a very few exceptions that I don't remember, they were all good. I have started seeing the "big names" as in Emeril and Aidell in the grocery stores and they may be marketing outside of the southeast. I didn't think theirs was coarse ground enough although the seasoning was ok. One thing I like about andouille is the texture the coarse grind gets after simmering for a while. Another major brand that might be more widely available is, surprisingly enough, Tony Chachere's. I found that at the not so big local Kroger of all places. It was also surprisingly good.

Jacob's andouille (that's where I order mine too) doesn't really have a "ground" texture. It's more like little chunks of ham, cut into small pieces and slammed together in the beef casing. Very, very good IMHO, and Mayhaw assured me that it is the "real" thing.

We tried some Aidell's a week or so ago (I had run out of Jacob's), and for turkey and chicken sausage it's pretty damned good. Not chunky, not even very coarsely ground, and I'm not sure it was really smoked, but still not bad.

THW

[Dim Sim]

While in the market yesterday, I decided to get ingredients for gumbo, made it last night, Had a few glasses of wine while making it. it was delicious, just heat some up for breakfast, even better, took some shots, will post them here when I work out how.

[torakris]

so do you never add okra to a roux based gumbo?

I really wanted to do okra....