For Olds442: Your Guide to Gumbo

[Olds442]

more on the roux later, @Roberteaux which swatch was i going for with "milk chocolate"? i got to about the second from the right (#6) in the middle row. none of them really look like what i consider MK so that's where we agreed for a couple reasons, more on those later.

was #6 about right?

 

[Roberteaux]

more on the roux later, @Roberteaux which swatch was i going for with "milk chocolate"? i got to about the second from the right (#6) in the middle row. none of them really look like what i consider MK so that's where we agreed for a couple reasons, more on those later.

was #6 about right?

Number 4, 5, and 6 are what I'd call New Orleans Peanut Butter... But #7 is darker than that...

Cajun roux generally looks like #9 or #10... but the last two are darker in color than anything I ever saw or personally cooked up.

--R

 

[Roberteaux]

@Olds442:

Had to edit the post above... dunno if you saw it and became confused before I edited it, so let me say this:

Number Six is right. It's about the same color I cook roux to while preparing a "NOLa Style" gumbo.

--R

 

[Olds442]

okay so here's the bowled pic.

i was worried during the roux process that i may have burnt it. i didn't see any black specs in the roux but you can see them in the bowled pic. is it possibly the pepper that was added? at one point during the roux stirring it started to sorta smell like popcorn. then it turned to more of a stronger smell. it wasn't "bad" smelling and the gumbo didn't taste bitter, but there is an element of that stronger smell in the final "flavor". also, since mom doesn't like cilantro we just added it to the bowl instead of potting it. i'm bringing them a good portion and didn't want to add cilantro to the pot for that reason. it worked for us as cilantro is such a strong flavor.

if it is a sign of being burnt, then i need to do the roux in a different pot. when i add 1/2 cup of flour and oil it barely covers the bottom of the pot. so i'm stirring relatively vigorously the entire time in fear of burning it. it was quite a workout for the 20-25 minutes i was stirring. like i said in earlier posts my stove's "low" setting is pretty high and with so little roux covering the bottom of the pan i'm worried it will/would burn easily. it probably took longer to get to #6 because i kept turning the flame down in fear of burning it. maybe next time i'll try using a different pan for the roux and just blend it all together after the trinity mix is added, putting it into the large pot after the steam orgasm? i'm thinking that's the plan for next time to see if it'll cover the bottom of the pan more than in the big pot.

either way, it tasted great. def a different vibe from the sausage/chicken recipe. i didn't use okra unfortunately as they didn't have it at Mariano's when i shopped. since the recipe said it was okay to omit it, that is what we did.

thanks again @Roberteaux for taking the time to share everything, this is a recipe i'll be using for a long time.

 

[Roberteaux]

okay so here's the bowled pic.

i was worried during the roux process that i may have burnt it. i didn't see any black specs in the roux but you can see them in the bowled pic.

is it possibly the pepper that was added?

If you'd burned your roux, you'd know it. Trust me when it comes to this!

Burned roux smells burned, looks burned, and has a very bitter flavor that is inedible to all but those who are literally starving.

You're almost certainly looking at flecks of seasoning in there...

Plus, when it comes to foodstuffs, the ultimate test is always the taste test. You said that it tasted great... and that means that you did everything correctly!

when i add 1/2 cup of flour and oil it barely covers the bottom of the pot. so i'm stirring relatively vigorously the entire time in fear of burning it. it was quite a workout for the 20-25 minutes i was stirring. like i said in earlier posts my stove's "low" setting is pretty high and with so little roux covering the bottom of the pan i'm worried it will/would burn easily. it probably took longer to get to #6 because i kept turning the flame down in fear of burning it. maybe next time i'll try using a different pan for the roux and just blend it all together after the trinity mix is added, putting it into the large pot after the steam orgasm? i'm thinking that's the plan for next time to see if it'll cover the bottom of the pan more than in the big pot.

Some people do things that way-- they transfer roux from a roux cooking container into a larger vessel to do the complete gumbo in.

I never did that. In my case, I tend to make one gallon of gumbo in a 5-quart pot... which means that I've just got a thin layer of flour/oil at the bottom, same as you described. I just whisk the hell out of it... it's really just a matter of keeping things moving along, but you don't need to see a wake or obvious currents in the moving roux just to keep it from burning.

20-25 minutes of cooking time tells me that the heat you were using wasn't really way up there. I tend to make a NOLa peanut butter kind of roux in about 7 - 9 minutes, with the darker Cajun variations coming along in about 12-15 minutes, depending.

What a lot of people who want the dark roux do is this: they'll cook it to the color of peanut butter under medium heat in about 7 - 9 minutes... but then they'll turn the heat down quite a bit lower and spend the next 9 or 10 minutes just letting the roux darken.

Because it's easier to burn a Cajun roux, there's kind of a big deal among some gumbo cooks about always using the stuff.. it's kind of a snob factor thing, even though really all that is called for is a longer cooking period. It's not as though it's technically "harder" to make a Cajun roux... it's just that its easier to end up with a burned roux if you're not really on it the whole time.

The difference is only that the darker roux might taste a bit more "toasted" than the lighter roux. A really white French roux tastes pretty pasty... so you go from paste to toast, with the NOLa stuff being kind of in between (but closer to toast than to paste).

I saw you saying that your latest gumbo had a different kind of vibe going than the first one in chicken-and-sausage...

That's the thing that's really cool about gumbo: that there are so many kinds, and that the flavors one might experience while sampling different varieties are so widely divergent.

Even when it comes to chicken-and-sausage, there would be variations from one cook to the next that might alter things considerably. The stuff is even more diverse than chili, if you can believe that. When you go to a gumbo cooking contest, you end up amazed by how totally different each entry is... and yet, they also have a certain, underlying element of "sameness" among those that use similar ingredients...

Everybody uses different seasonings and such, too. One time I made a turkey stock and really loaded it up with rosemary, then clarified the stock and used it for a turkey gumbo. The whole gumbo-- stock and meat-- was really just made from a leftover Thanksgiving dinner. I boiled the bones and some dark meat with the rosemary and an ordinary mirepoix to get the stock... then just made a gumbo per usual using only the white meat that was left over from the dinner...

Even I was surprised by it. It was really, really good... but I haven't made one like that since, either.

Point being: you play with this stuff enough, and you'll get to where you can make a gumbo out of almost anything!

thanks again @Roberteaux for taking the time to share everything, this is a recipe i'll be using for a long time.

You're very welcome!

I'm glad you had an opportunity to cook the stuff... it's great fun once you get your roux chops down pat, and the amount of experimentation you can get into with it is nearly unbelievable!

--Rob

 

[socialhero]

 

[socialhero]

This time I used a mix of red/yellow/orange bell pepper for the trinity, with the celery and onion.

The lamb mergeuez sausage is delicious - leaner than the andouille, with a more gamey flavor.

Then I seared the chicken in the frying pan I had the sausage in.

Went back to NOLA roux this time. Getting a bit faster!

And just after the best part...save for the eating, of course:

This time I went with the spicier Tony C's instead of the regular:

And about a half hour ago, I had this!

Another good round. Part of the reason I keep making this is that I can have a great meal tonight, have leftovers for tomorrow, and fill up several 16oz Ziploc bowls to freeze for later in the week. It keeps well and makes for a really easy meal when I don't have the time, the groceries, or the desire, to cook.

Digestif musings

• I still like the first one I made (andouille and chicken) the most. I think the pork sausage, with its higher caloric content, adds a viscosity and density to the taste that the second gumbo I made (w/ just chicken) and this one (with the leaner lamb sausage) lacked.
• The spicier Tony C's seasoning didn't make for a very significant difference. If anything, it felt like this one had less salt - I actually added more while eating. Both have the exact same ingredient list (and order), though I imagine the chili powder quantities are what is different. I think the need to add salt was probably also related to not using andouille.
• Save the measurements for the dry spices, I actually made this entirely from memory. That was pretty cool!
• I've got some incoming heritage pork bacon in my monthly butcher box (3 lbs!). I'm thinking the next experiment will include some of that to see if I can zero in on the fat/density element.
• Still slicing on the bias, because I intend to be a Consummate (né Consommé) Professional.

Cheers!

 

[Roberteaux]

This time I used a mix of red/yellow/orange bell pepper for the trinity, with the celery and onion.

The lamb mergeuez sausage is delicious - leaner than the andouille, with a more gamey flavor.

View attachment 470819

Then I seared the chicken in the frying pan I had the sausage in.

View attachment 470826

Went back to NOLA roux this time. Getting a bit faster!

View attachment 470820

And just after the best part...save for the eating, of course:

View attachment 470821

This time I went with the spicier Tony C's instead of the regular:

View attachment 470822

View attachment 470823

View attachment 470824

And about a half hour ago, I had this!

View attachment 470825

Another good round. Part of the reason I keep making this is that I can have a great meal tonight, have leftovers for tomorrow, and fill up several 16oz Ziploc bowls to freeze for later in the week. It keeps well and makes for a really easy meal when I don't have the time, the groceries, or the desire, to cook.

Digestif musings

• I still like the first one I made (andouille and chicken) the most. I think the pork sausage, with its higher caloric content, adds a viscosity and density to the taste that the second gumbo I made (w/ just chicken) and this one (with the leaner lamb sausage) lacked.
• The spicier Tony C's seasoning didn't make for a very significant difference. If anything, it felt like this one had less salt - I actually added more while eating. Both have the exact same ingredient list (and order), though I imagine the chili powder quantities are what is different. I think the need to add salt was probably also related to not using andouille.
• Save the measurements for the dry spices, I actually made this entirely from memory. That was pretty cool!
• I've got some incoming heritage pork bacon in my monthly butcher box (3 lbs!). I'm thinking the next experiment will include some of that to see if I can zero in on the fat/density element.
• Still slicing on the bias, because I intend to be a Consummate (né Consommé) Professional.

Cheers!

NICE!

And that's how it's done... and why there are so many types of gumbo out there. After you get the basics down, along come the unique combinations!

And yet, it's all gumbo...

--R

 

[Olds442]

looks like a hell of a batch @socialhero well done.

i can smell that from here.

 

[Olds442]

making the chix/sausage today in Virginia for my son and his roommate.

have everything chopped and meats cooked, about to let my son experience the joy of roux.

he has an electric stove so this should be interesting.

 

[Olds442]

 

[Bigfoot410]

Ya know, I still haven't made it. We were gonna...and then we were gonna and then spring/summer hit and I worked late every night and ran the grandkids from sport to sport every weekend.

I has no 'scuses now. Gotta get it done.....damn fine lookin' eats!!

 

[Roberteaux]

Man, if that stuff tastes half as good as it looks, you've got yourself a fine batch of gumbo there!

And so the tradition begins...

--R

 

[Brek]

Damn I’m hungry.

 

[Bigfoot410]

I'm one hour away. The house smells amazing!! Pics to come when it's done.

Went with a #8 roux and forgoing the rice as well bought some fresh French bread to dip instead. I eat pounds of rice every week so I decided it wasn't needed for the test run.



*edit- forgot the wife is reading this to get the directions. OK, OK she cooked it mostly...lol. I grilled the meats and said "smells GREAT, babe!"

 

[Bigfoot410]

Absolutely fantastic, Rob!!

Gonna try shrimp and okra next time for more yumminess.

Workin' on the roux:

gettin' ready for the hour low boil.

Cookin' away....

Added the last 2 ingredients and done!!

YUMMY!!!

 

[Roberteaux]

Fantastic!

Looks great... glad you finally went for it!

--Rob

 

[Olds442]

looks great @Bigfoot410!

 

[Bigfoot410]

looks great @Bigfoot410!

Thanks. Finally got around to making it. Heating up a bowl before bed. That three bigass bowls of it tonight. Damn fine tastin' stuff!

The only thing I would do different is bump up the Tony's a bit and maybe add a pinch of Old Bay. Just for more awesomeness.

 

[Olds442]

yeah, we're doing that again.