# Gumbo



## Gumbo (Sep 22, 2007)

Goob and I have been talking about gumbo. If I could only eat one food for the rest of my life, it would be gumbo--real, homemade gumbo. Ooo-eeEE 'dat good! Ah gar-own-tee!!

Here's a quick and easy one with common ingredients and a good description of how to make it if you've never made a roux before. A hot roux is like napalm, so be very careful. Also, the darker you get it, the more flavor is developed but the less its thickening power. Also, the darker you get it the more easily it will burn, and a burned roux is no good. So I recommend adding your trinity at a milk-chocolate color, as it will continue to darken as you cook the trinity.

*The Denver Cajun's Competition Gumbo*

Ingredients:
• 1 C. lard
• 1 C. all purpose flour
• 3 lbs. smoked chicken (cut into bite size pieces)
• 1 1/2 lbs. Andouille sausage (cut into bite size pieces) or a good smoked firm sausage
• Trinity:
o 4 C. chopped yellow onions
o 2 C. chopped celery
o 2 C. chopped green peppers
• 1 Tbsp chopped garlic
• 8 C. chicken stock (not the crap in a can either)
• 2 C. chopped green onions

• Cooked Rice (medium grain)
• Cajun seasoning
• French bread
• File'

The first secret to a good gumbo is the "roux". Without it you have chicken soup. I have tried many ways of making roux and it comes down to your favorite&#8230;this is mine.

Roux
Equal parts all purpose flour and snow cap lard. This recipe makes 15-20 servings so I use 1 cup flour and 1 cup lard. You need a heavy pan or pot to make the roux in (cast iron or the enameled cast works best) and I like to use a flat whisk to stir it with. You have to be ready for about twenty minutes at the stove&#8230;no potty breaks or going to the fridge for a drink. You have to stir the roux continuously or it will burn and you have to start over again.

Make sure you have your trinity chopped and ready to add&#8230;.it will be added to the roux in that order.

Once you add the onions you will want to change to a large wooden spoon for the stirring action. After the trinity is cooked to the desired tenderness add 1 tablespoon of finely
chopped garlic (or more if you want).

OK, let's start! In a heavy pot add the lard and turn the burner to medium high. As the lard begins to melt, start adding the flour. Stir with the whisk continuously until the roux reaches a dark chocolate brown. You will notice several color changes in the process. Once it hits a medium brown it will go pretty fast to dark so be ready. Turn down the heat to medium when it hits light brown. When it gets to dark brown add the chopped onions. Switch to the spoon and stir, stir, stir.

Turn the burner to low. Add the rest of the trinity and continue stirring until the trinity is well cooked. This stage is where the flavors of the gumbo are really defined. The cold veggies stop the roux cooking process and the heat of the roux quickly cooks the veggies. So it's a good deal for both.

Add the garlic and stir in. (Depending on how big a pot you started with it might be necessary to transfer the roux and veggie mixture to a large stock pot before adding the rest of the ingredients.)

Now add the chicken, pork and sausage to the mixture. Continue to stir. Gradually stir in the delicious homemade chicken stock that you made. Bring it up to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and let it get happy for at least an hour. Season to taste with the Cajun seasoning.

Make some white rice.

About ten minutes before you are ready to serve add the chopped green onions.

Serve with the French bread. File' can be added by each lucky soul partaking in this feast as they desire. The file' is finely ground dried sassafras leaves which will add flavor and thickening to the gumbo. 1/4 to 1/2 tsp. per serving is recommended.


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## Gumbo (Sep 22, 2007)

This recipe is my favorite part when cooking a turkey. Whether you smoke, grill, fry, or even bake your bird, save the carcass for gumbo. First make the stock, which follows the gumbo recipe. Then make the gumbo.

*Emeril's Turkey Bone Gumbo*

Ingredients
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 1/4 cups flour
• 1 1/2 cups chopped onions
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1 cup chopped bell peppers
• Salt
• Cayenne
• 1 pound smoked sausage, such as andouille or kielbasa, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch slices
• 3 bay leaves
• 6 cups turkey stock
• Leftover turkey meat, about 3 to 4 cups
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
• 1/2 cup chopped green onions
• 1 tablespoon file' powder
• 2 cups cooked long grain white rice

Instructions
In a Dutch oven, over medium heat, combine the oil and flour and stirring slowly and constantly for 20 to 25 minutes, make a dark brown roux, the color of chocolate. Add the onions, celery, and bell peppers and continue to stir for 4 to 5 minutes, or until wilted. Season with salt and pepper. Add the sausage and bay leaves. Continue to stir for 3 to 4 minutes.

Add the stock. Stir until the roux mixture and stock are well combined. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low. Cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour.

Add the turkey. Simmer for 2 hours. Skim off any fat that rises to the surface.

Remove from the heat. Stir in the parsley, green onions and file powder. Remove the bay leaves and serve in deep bowls with rice.

*Turkey Bone Stock*
Yield: 1 gallon stock

Ingredients
• 1 leftover turkey carcass
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 4 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 4 stalks of celery, chopped
• 4 cloves of garlic, peeled
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 sprigs of fresh thyme
• 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
• Salt
• 1 gallon of water to cover

Instructions
Using a sharp knife, cut the carcass into smaller pieces. In a large pot, add the carcass, vegetables, bay leaves, thyme, and peppercorns. Season with salt. Cover with water. Place the pot over medium heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to simmer and cook for 2 hours. Skim off any scum that rises to the surface. Remove from the heat and strain.


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

Ah C'est Bon

Later man.....doin' a turnaround, 15 hours every day, and then working on World peace at night.

I will say though that I make the best Andouille this side of I40!


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## Gumbo (Sep 22, 2007)

Do you have a recipe for elk andouille?


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

Gumbo said:


> Do you have a recipe for elk andouille?


I have made andouille from wild game, but don't remember what animal. I do remember it was too lean and I didn't care fo rit. I like my andouille, for gumbos and jambalaya, made from coarse ground pork, on the fatty side. I like to smoke it with slivers of sugar cane over a pecan sawdust base, but no one sells sugar cane where I live anymore, so lately I've just used Pecan.

I have recipes for andouille that you wouldn't want to eat alone; too much black pepper and garlic. And I have some other andouille recipes that are mild, something you would have with cheese and crackers and a cold beer.

I will post recipes when I get back home.


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

Gumbo has great instructions for gumbo. I wonder why they call him “Gumbo”.


Let's talk about stock:
As I mentioned I use wild game for most of my gumbos. The game is cooked beforehand slowly in water to remove unwanted "wild" flavors and to reduce toughness. The end product is stock:

Duck Stock Ingredients
3 or 4 - ducks, cut up, skin on
4 or 5 - carrots, peeled and cut up
1/2 - medium onion
2 - Bay leaves
1 tablespoon - black peppercorns
2 tsp - Salt
1 gallon - water, or enough to cover

Throw everything together and simmer until meat just starts to fall off the bones. Remove meat, set aside and let cool. Strain the cooked ingredients and save only the liquid as stock. Take the meat off of the bones, cut into bite-size pieces and add to the stock. If you don’t care for a little duck fat just throw away all the cooked liquid and replace with chicken broth, about 3 quarts. 

Using the skin is optional; I like it. The carrots work wonders, absorbing bad flavors, so I always discard them.

Then I take the stock and add:
1 cup - chopped onions
1 cup - chopped bell peppers
1 cup - chopped celery
1 - 12 oz pkg okra
4 - garlic cloves, minced
1 - Tbsp Chachere’s Creole Seasoning 

Add ½ pound of andouille sausage if yous want and then throw dat in da roux. Simmer for a couple hours, a package of da okra, simmer for 1/2 hour more. Serve on rice topped wit da filé and sliced green onions.

Ca c'est bon!!


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

Gumbo said:


> Goob and I have been talking about gumbo. If I could only eat one food for the rest of my life, it would be gumbo--real, homemade gumbo. Ooo-eeEE 'dat good! Ah gar-own-tee!!
> 
> Here's a quick and easy one with common ingredients and a good description of how to make it if you've never made a roux before. A hot roux is like napalm, so be very careful. Also, the darker you get it, the more flavor is developed but the less its thickening power. Also, the darker you get it the more easily it will burn, and a burned roux is no good. So I recommend adding your trinity at a milk-chocolate color, as it will continue to darken as you cook the trinity.
> 
> ...


LARD?

DENVER?

Bacon grease

Morgan City LA


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## Gumbo (Sep 22, 2007)

The Denver Cajun is a regular on the competition BBQ circuit. This is his recipe. You can substitute with the oil of your choice. I usually just use some of my "seasoned" frying oil. But anything cooked in lard has gotsta be good.


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

Growing up I made lard, every spring and summer, when we butchered hogs.

I still have a lard press. It's a constant reminder that things are not all that bad.

Geezus, OSHA would have banned the operation, just because of the toxic fumes!!!!!


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

I worked offshore in the Gulf of Mexico for years. The food was fantastic. As the company man I usually signed off on the grocery orders. I tried to make sure we had ingredients for gumbo. But it was hard to get the cooks to make it. Most of the hands wanted meat and potatoes, pizza, stuff with alot of fat and starch.

So when I hit the bank after my hitch offshore I would find the nearest little ******* country bar, slam down a bunch of cold ones, and go for a bowl of gumbo. Those little bars near the boat docks and heliports always had a "gumbo of the day" for us guys. So much variety......It was great!


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## CondonWildlife (Jul 6, 2010)

man, now I want gumbo!!

Although, if I had to pick one food to eat for the rest of my life.....it would be pizza!

Thanks for the recipe.

www.condonwildlifecams.com


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

Made duck gumbo today.

Here's the finished "smokin' hot" roux that has a nice dark brown color after 20 minutes of stirring over medium high heat:









A well-used roux stirring spoon will be burnt on the end:









Serve on rice and sprinkle filé and green onions on top:


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

I had a pkg of pre-cooked duck meat in the freezer, but no duck stock, so I used chicken broth for this pot of gumbo.


Here's the recipe: 

Roux:
¾ cup - flour
¾ cup - oil or bacon fat

Ingredients:
1½ lb - cooked duck meat (including nickel-sized pieces of cooked duck skin)
½ lb - spicy smoked sausage (andouille is best)
1½ cup - chopped onions
2/3 cup - chopped celery
2/3 cup - chopped green pepper
2 tsp - minced garlic
1 - 12 oz pkg frozen okra
2 tbsp - parsley flakes
2 bay leaves
3 quarts - chicken broth
1 to 2 tbsp - Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning

Toppings:
1 bunch - thinly-sliced green onion tops
Filé

Follow preparation and cooking instructions in this topic.


Some like diced tomatoes in their gumbo. I can go either way.


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## Gumbo (Sep 22, 2007)

wyogoob said:


> Made duck gumbo today.
> 
> Serve on rice and sprinkle filé and green onions on top:


Oh man, that looks good! I just spent a week living on a sailboat in SoCal and right on the water only a few minutes walk away is a Cheesecake Factory. I tried their gumbo and it was very disappointing. Few things in life are more disappointing than ordering gumbo from a restaurant and getting soup with rice added to it. I need to make some to do it right.


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

is a Cheesecake Factory a chain resturant?


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## Gumbo (Sep 22, 2007)

Yes. I hate chains, but sometimes you have no choice.


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## Chaser (Sep 28, 2007)

That gumbo looks good! I haven't had gumbo since I was on my mission. A family in one of my areas was from LA, and made it for us occasionally. They only made it when they had fresh ingredients from the gulf. Good stuff!


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## ram2h2o (Sep 11, 2007)

Andouille Sausage- La Place, Louisiana!!!
Lard -Pork Fat Rules!!


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