Gumbo: Cook-Off 3

snowangel · February 17, 2005

I have a hard time believing that part of gumbo isn't about what is around at the time one is cooking it. So, if it's veg, and the grill is going, you roast them and make gumbo.

But, being a Minnesotan raised in Thailand, I probably don't understand gumbo at all.

So, I will make some this weekend. Probably on Friday to eat on Saturday after a day of ice fishing.

patti · February 17, 2005

I have a hard time believing that part of gumbo isn't about what is around at the time one is cooking it. So, if it's veg, and the grill is going, you roast them and make gumbo.
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Sure, the basis for Cajun cooking is to use what you have on hand, but it doesn't mean it all has to be turned into gumbo!

fifi · February 17, 2005

Heh heh heh . . .

I just love throwing fat in the fire. :raz:

Let me ask the question: Have you ever tried it? I haven't. Therefore, I am not willing to dismiss the idea until I have tried it. It might be an interesting twist on gumbo or it might come out like an interesting vegetable stew.

Chris Amirault · February 17, 2005

My goodness, take a few days to do actual work and lookit what happens! You folks are amazing!

A question:

I think the corn cakes would be very creole.
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Are we talking about hushpuppies here, or something else, when you say "corn cakes"? Here in RI we take our stone ground corn thingies pretty seriously!

Jack Tyler · February 17, 2005

Heh heh heh . . .
I just love throwing fat in the fire.
Let me ask the question: Have you ever tried it? I haven't. Therefore, I am not willing to dismiss the idea until I have tried it. It might be an interesting twist on gumbo or it might come out like an interesting vegetable stew.
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I don't know if I even want to go there. I try everything, though. Also, speaking of the jarred dark roux, as I mentioned before... scooping some out into a frying pan makes an extremely good base to start a brown gravy with some real character when pot roast drippings are added to it.

Cusina · February 17, 2005

I love this thread... it just keeps getting better, like a good gumbo should. "Goddess Gumbo" is now firmly on my favorite home cooked meals list.

My gumbo making music of choice was Clapton's unplugged. Not too fast, not too slow, nice rhythm and somehow fitting.

Snowangel, I understand your worries, but if my Wisconsin made gumbo turned out well, yours will too. :grin:

Mayhaw Man · February 17, 2005

A nice side with Gumbo, if you aren't having crusty bread, is hot water cornbread. Simply put, you make a nice mush of corn meal, highly spiced, and mix with hot water until you have it at a consistancy that will allow you to make cakes out of it. Heat up about an inch of peanut oil, and make the cakes by dipping your hands in cold water, quickly making a patty out of the hot corn meal mixture, and placing them in the bubbling hot oil until they are brown and delicious on the outside and warm and toasty on the inside.

This stuff also goes great with Chili. The beans IN the chili mix nicely with the sweetness of the cornmeal.

Also, while I hesitate to incur the wrath of some of those morons who think that we fry everything and only use lard when we fry......these things are awesome fried in lard. Really. Another level of crunchy, sweet deliciousness.

suzilightning · February 17, 2005

alright! I'll look for some pickled okra (good luck here in Seattle hu??)
We are thinking of making corn cakes and also a yummy salad. And beer! Is there a common beer in the south?
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can you get shiner(texas) or jax(la)?

we drank negro modela...

Mayhaw Man · February 17, 2005

If you can geet Jax, it's gonna be kinda old. The brewery has been closed for 25 years.

On the other hand, you can probably find Abita or Dixie.

suzilightning · February 17, 2005

If you can geet Jax, it's gonna be kinda old. The brewery has been closed for 25 years.
forgot that....
On the other hand, you can probably find Abita or Dixie.
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forgot about dixie

highchef · February 17, 2005

If you can geet Jax, it's gonna be kinda old. The brewery has been closed for 25 years.
forgot that....
On the other hand, you can probably find Abita or Dixie.
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forgot about dixie
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Mayhaw Man could tell you about the varieties of Abita, there are a few. Dixie is good when it's ice cold and in LONGNECK bottles, that's the key to drinking Dixie.

Have fun!

Mayhaw Man · February 17, 2005

Well, since you asked-

I would reccomend Amber and Turbodog as the top two choices there (disclosure: I was the brewmaster at Abita for a very long time-these recipes were either invented or developed by me-Turbodog in particular-and I still live around the corner from the original brewery). Amber is a pleasant, lightly hopped lager and Turbodog is a dark, moderately hopped, ale (technically an alt, but who's asking?). Dog is a great pairing for spicy seafood and amber goes well with just about everything.

They now have a broad variety of beers that are available in the New Orleans area, and many of them are available nationwide as well-particularly amber, dog, and light. A quick look at their website will give you the distributor in your area and a phone call will narrow it down to a retail establishment.

little ms foodie · February 17, 2005

My goodness, take a few days to do actual work and lookit what happens! You folks are amazing!
A question:
I think the corn cakes would be very creole.
←
Are we talking about hushpuppies here, or something else, when you say "corn cakes"? Here in RI we take our stone ground corn thingies pretty seriously!
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What I am talking about are little pancakes made with corn. I'm not sure what a hushpuppy is :sad:

These are maybe corn fitters only they are pan fried instead of deep fried. flour, baking power, eggs, milk, corn kernals, salt.

fifi · February 17, 2005

A nice side with Gumbo, if you aren't having crusty bread, is hot water cornbread. Simply put, you make a nice mush of corn meal, highly spiced, and mix with hot water until you have it at a consistancy that will allow you to make cakes out of it. Heat up about an inch of peanut oil, and make the cakes by dipping your hands in cold water, quickly making a patty out of the hot corn meal mixture, and placing them in the bubbling hot oil until they are brown and delicious on the outside and warm and toasty on the inside.
This stuff also goes great with Chili. The beans IN the chili mix nicely with the sweetness of the cornmeal.
Also, while I hesitate to incur the wrath of some of those morons who think that we fry everything and only use lard when we fry......these things are awesome fried in lard. Really. Another level of crunchy, sweet deliciousness.
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Brooks . . . Those sound exactly like these things that my great aunt would make when I was a kid. She didn't add spice to them back then but that certainly is in order. Sometimes she did add cracklins though. And, yes, they were fried in lard. The cracklins were from the lard making process, well hidden from us kids. (Well, most of the time. We were pretty smart kids.) For some stupid reason we called them bump-bides. :blink:

They are great with gumbo and chili. I have got to try to make some next time I make lard.

Potter · February 17, 2005

Also, while I hesitate to incur the wrath of some of those morons who think that we fry everything and only use lard when we fry......these things are awesome fried in lard. Really. Another level of crunchy, sweet deliciousness.
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LARD RULES!!!

little ms foodie · February 17, 2005

mmmm, that sounds good an easy!!

what about an apple slaw. is there any cajun thing? I have apples and cabbage and I can't help but think a nice slaw would go well with our gumbo too??

My Confusing Horoscope · February 17, 2005

My gumbo making music of choice was Clapton's unplugged. Not too fast, not too slow, nice rhythm and somehow fitting.

Try Cajun music at http://npmusic.org/artists.html

(That's my Web site!)

fifi · February 17, 2005

mmmm, that sounds good an easy!!
what about an apple slaw. is there any cajun thing? I have apples and cabbage and I can't help but think a nice slaw would go well with our gumbo too??
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I haven't made this in a while. It is a slaw recipe that I got from a college roomate's mom. We used to go to her "summer house" in Madisonville LA for various culinary events including gumbo and jambalaya parties. She always made this slaw and swore she got it from her grandmother. :laugh: (When you see the ingredients you will see why the laugh.)

Add some grated onion to your usual shredded cabbage and maybe grated carrot mixture. The dressing is 1/2 mayonaise and 1/2 Wishbone Italian dressing and a goodly shake of cayenne.

Chris Amirault · February 18, 2005

What I am talking about are little pancakes made with corn.
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Yep, they're a version of good ol' RI johnny cakes -- or perhaps johnny cakes are a version of them.... :blink:

I'm not sure what a hushpuppy is
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As usual, eGullet to the rescue with a thread on hushpuppies! I know Prudhomme has a recipe for them in Louisiana Kitchen, but are they good gumbo accompaniments? FistFulla? Mayhaw? What do you say?

highchef · February 18, 2005

I thought miss foodie was speaking as an appetizer (the johnny cakes) but a corn bread is good with anything. Hushpuppies arn't cornbread. They're made with cornmeal, but fried like fritters and usuallly are served with other fried foods. If this was a buffett, I'd make some quarter size corn pancakes and have different toppings for them (that cavier someone down here is marketing is supposed to be good, made of roe from what? alligater gar? )as a pseudo southern appetizer.. but have french bread with the gumbo itself. imho.

edit: I'll look up the southern cavier when I remember where it was I saw it. Louisiana Magazine?? or maybe Southern Living?

Edited February 18, 2005 by highchef (log)

fou de Bassan · February 18, 2005

MCH, very cool site!

I now have the soundtrack for my next Gumbo makin'

Thanks

My Confusing Horoscope · February 18, 2005

Thanks fou! That's me, MCH. That's easier than My Confusing Horoscope!

Mayhaw Man · February 18, 2005

edit: I'll look up the southern cavier when I remember where it was I saw it. Louisiana Magazine?? or maybe Southern Living?
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Hushpuppie Recipe here. Sure they could go with Gumbo. Who's gonna complain! Although I think that I would prefer french bread or hot water cornbread.

As for the caviar, it comes from a native sturgeon type fish called the bowfin or chopique (choo-pick)

It is remarkably good. I was able to taste it at the Fancy Food Show in SF, and although I have had it many times this was the first time that I have ever been able to compare it to the real deal. It's good. Processed correctly, tastes good, interesting tecture. I would eat it as a stand alone, even though most of the time here you see it as an addtion to something or other. Emeril uses it on alot of stuff as garnish.

FistFullaRoux · February 18, 2005

edit: I'll look up the southern cavier when I remember where it was I saw it. Louisiana Magazine?? or maybe Southern Living?
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Hushpuppie Recipe here. Sure they could go with Gumbo. Who's gonna complain! Although I think that I would prefer french bread or hot water cornbread.
As for the caviar, it comes from a native sturgeon type fish called the bowfin or chopique (choo-pick)
It is remarkably good. I was able to taste it at the Fancy Food Show in SF, and although I have had it many times this was the first time that I have ever been able to compare it to the real deal. It's good. Processed correctly, tastes good, interesting tecture. I would eat it as a stand alone, even though most of the time here you see it as an addtion to something or other. Emeril uses it on alot of stuff as garnish.
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What next, gaspergou in a can?

Potter · February 19, 2005

Hey, I just spent the evening making the gumbo and it turned out great. Dh is eating it now & loving it. It will be even better tomorrow. Will serve with corn bread or biscuits. Haven't decided yet. I have made gumbos before but this is the first time I had the guts to go whole hog with the roux. Always chickened out before roux got dark enough. Tonight I stirred & stirred and watched. In case my eyes were getitng bleary I had my son give a second opinion as to the roux color. He is a candy fiend. He said the color was like a Kit-kat. Figured that's the same as a Hershey bar. There you have it. Good eatin' next few days. Thanks

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