I just made Chicken Gumbo.....ask me anything.

Yummy!

discuss

And I didn't even fill the house up with smoke.

;)

Take a 1/4 lb. butter and melt on med heat. Butter should be bubbly
Add about 1/2 cup flour. Stir and stir and stir. When it's all mixed well let it bubble and shit until it's as brown as you like it. Don't burn it. This is the roux, a thickener.
Chop up some veggies- carrots, celery, peppers, onions, etc. and saute 'em in a big pan with a bit of oil.

Cut up some fresh ochra while they cook. Lotsa ochra. (If you don't like ochre you can thicken with cornstarch at the last 5 minutes.)

strain a #10 can of tomatoes (or fresh equivalent, peeled and seeded.)
Cut up some shrimp and sausages. Crawfish are great too. I've had good results adding halibut or scallops at the last minute.

Ok. Roux is made, veggies are sauteed and fish are cut up. Add some chicken (or fish) stock to roux. Stir, stir stir. Add tomatoes and spices ( no file!) Stir, stir, stir.

spices:
cayenne
more cayenne
parsley, thyme, rosemary, basil...whatever you like

add ochre and cook for a bit (20 minutes? It depends. It'll thicken)

Add fish thingies, sausage and veggies

cook until done (ten minutes or so) Did I mention stirring?

serve over bed of rice or alongside red beans&rice

and if so how do you prep it?

Is file powder okay?

dont need to

Don't try to cook it. It loses it's flavor and all like that. Kinda like cilantro. Tastes best raw.

I just toss it in with the rice.

After all, the word 'gumbo' is a West African word for okra...

Frozen is just about as good as fresh, but you don't get the slime. The slime is used for thickening stews in Africa.

You did put cayenne in it, didn't you?????

i should clarify ( I make lots of gumbo, lots ) my crew does not like okra. a true gumbo, by definition contains it. I believe the word gumbo is an african derivation of okra.
that having been said, there are lots of ways to make gumbo without it. Hell some recipes even use tomatoes in there. I myself, like okra, but again my gang says no way, so i leave it out.

File powder IMO, just blands the dish. If all your ingrediants are fresh and the roux is right, you dont need that either

and slice about 1/8 in. thick.

I love gumbo!

HH, future liberal veteran.

How about cheddar cheese melted in your grits?

-- Allen

Jalapeno Cheese Grits...ambrosia!

A basic chicken and sausage gumbo is my idea of heaven.

...Can you make a chicken mambo?

Or two-step? :silly:

Jambalaya and-a crawfish pie and-a file gumbo
'Cause tonight I'm gonna see my machez amio
Pick guitar, fill fruit jar and be gay-oh
Son of a gun, we'll have big fun on the bayou.

Miz t. sez if you put carrots in gumbo yer a sissie.
(Miz t. is The Kajun Kween of Orange, Texas)
The Holy Trinity of gumbo is celery, onion and bell pepper.

Roux is a matter of taste and family tradition from light, light blonde to dark, dark brunette.
I like the dark.
Not butter, but peanut oil.
Butter burns before the roux gets dark enough.
Traditionally it was bacon grease.
Miz t.'s takes about 30 minutes of cookin' and stirrin'.

Ain't no hot peppers in gumbo. The heat goes in according to individual taste, after it's dished up.

The file' goes in just before serving. Once the file' is in, never let the gumbo boil. It'll turn bitter if you do.
The traditional accompaniment is potato salad.
And cornbread.

Thanks for the inspiration.
Rainy cold front coming through.
Chicken and andouille sausage gumbo with jalapeno cheese cornbread tonight.
:9

I may just have to change my plans for dinner. I'm going through the same rainy cold front and gumbo sounds really good!

Miz t. came down with a cold, so I made chili instead.
She's better this a.m., so GUMBO TONIGHT!
Still cool and rainy.

Just asking.