The Beginner's Guide to Gumbo

A little bit of backstory and a simple recipe, please don't yell at me

Good afternoon and happy Mardi Gras! Thank you for spending part of your day with today’s issue of the Gulf Coastal.

We’re going to pick up where we left off on last week’s issue on making stock. First, we have some chatter about gumbo, followed by the weekly interlude. We round out the issue with a beginner’s gumbo recipe that includes a mini section about roux. By the time you’re reading this, some folks down in Mamou have probably already chased down chickens to make the annual Mardi Gras day gumbo, so it’s only fitting that it’s today’s theme.

Let’s get to it, andiamo.

Gumbo is one of those foods that inspires opinions like no other because everyone’s preparation is a little different. Tomatoes or no tomatoes? Okra or file? Should the proteins include seafood, or must one do a heartier, all-meat version? Must it only be served over rice, or is there room for potato salad in this household (in our household’s case, cauliflower rice)? How dark should the roux be?

Recipes and opinions are passed down through families like genetic material. Your version of gumbo may depend on where you grew up or where (and how) you learned to cook. For example, gumbo recipes hewing to the Creole tradition (more likely for those who grew up closer to New Orleans) may include tomatoes, such as the Commander’s Palace seafood gumbo recipe, and be slightly thinner than its Cajun cousin. They may also tend to favor seafood over land-living proteins.

If you grew up along the I-10 corridor outside of New Orleans, chances are your gumbo may be more stew-like, abstains from tomatoes, and may only include meat from animals who tread on land. However, that might depend on if you grew up Bayou Cajun or Prairie Cajun (think Lafayette versus Houma), namely if you grew up closer to the coast (aka Bayou Cajun), your gumbo may be a shade or two lighter than spent motor oil, lack tomatoes (unless it doesn’t!), but include crabs and shrimp. Prairie Cajuns’ gumbo may be strictly chicken and sausage or include duck or other game birds such as pheasant or quail — unless someone came into some shrimp or crabs, so those could be tossed in as well.

Traditionally, the regional variations of gumbo depended on what was available to whoever was making it at the time. Arguments on the internet about what constitutes gumbo were set in stone centuries ago by the availability of ingredients for groups of people who shared a small (in the broader geographic scheme) patch of land and similar culinary tradition, then colored in the lines as best they could with what they had, where they were. All approaches are valid, and none are wrong.

Gumbo is relative and in the eye of the beholder. In this sense, its many variations are illustrative of the cultural differences present in South Louisiana. It is a melting pot within a melting pot, and the different preparations of gumbo reflect that.

So, let’s set some ground rules on what may constitute a traditional gumbo. They include:

• A roux (more on that in a bit) to thicken, as well as provide color and flavor

• A soup base built on stock or water and some other ingredients. The stock may be homemade or boxed. Some recipes, such as the Commander’s seafood gumbo linked above, include a base built on water and tomatoes.

• Proteins of some sort, either seafood or landfood, including (but not limited to) chicken, sausage, ham, turkey, pheasant, quail, shrimp, crab, and oysters. It can be a combination of some of the aforementioned (or all if you’re feeling feisty, but I don’t recommend it).

• Trinity. For the uninitiated, this is a mixture of onion, bell peppers, and celery, typically in a 2:1:1 ratio.

• A secondary thickening and flavoring agent, such as okra or file powder.

• It can include tomatoes in some form; however, they are not required, nor is using them in some form incorrect.

• If you set out to make gumbo and stick to the aforementioned ground rules, you are sticking to the realm of gumbo. It may not be perfect when you’re finished making it, but it will be gumbo. It is not as difficult to make a quality finished product as you might think. Perfecting it, however, is elusive and difficult. Like most things, you will get better at making gumbo with more time investment.

After the interlude, I’ll have a basic recipe for chicken and sausage gumbo that is eminently accessible for beginners and provides enough wiggle room for variation and interpretation. I’ve made this recipe with turkey stock and meat, and eventually, I plan on using some ducks for it. I’ve also scaled it up to cook in my 10-gallon black pot for a gumbo cookoff and tailgates.

When making this, you should focus more on the method and process rather than the proteins, because those are interchangeable. Hopefully, this recipe will give you a place to start from if you’re a gumbo novice who wants to learn. If you’re an experienced gumbo chef, maybe this can give you a new idea or two.

Here are some things I’m enjoying right now.

Audio

• Matt and Kim – Grand

• The War on Drugs – Lost in the Dream

• We Lost the Sea – Departure Songs

• Talking Heads – True Stories

• Oasis – (What’s the Story) Morning Glory?

Video

The Eyes of Tammy Faye, which recounts the rise and fall of Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker’s televangelist empire from the latter’s perspective. Jessica Chastain’s performance as Tammy Faye is legitimately Oscar-worthy and the film does an incredible job humanizing someone who I knew little about, other than the makeup jokes and that her ministry was eventually upended by her husband’s misdeeds. Andrew Garfield turns in a good performance as Jim Bakker, managing to make the maligned preacher look loathsome and sympathetic, sometimes in the same scene. Vincent D’Onofrio is straight-up evil as Jerry Falwell. It’s terrific!

Food and Drink

• Reese’s Sticks – peanut butter cups may be my favorite candy, but the crunchy wafers of Reese’s Sticks add another layer of complexity regarding flavor and texture. 15/10, wonderful snack.

• Panda Express – specifically the “bigger plate,” which consists of three entrees and one side. I usually opt for the orange chicken, teriyaki chicken, and beef and broccoli, with half-sides of chow mein and the supergreens. Bountiful calories for an affordable price and it’s not a lie when you say it’s got some redeeming nutritional value.

Okay, it’s time to get back on track.

It is gumbo time, my dudes. The bones of this recipe are courtesy of Emeril Lagasse. I made some tweaks to the method, but the ingredients are damn near the same. The base amounts will take up most of a 5-quart Dutch oven. Doubling the base amounts fills my 8-quart up about 80% of the way, so I’m usually making double batches when I’m at home. I’ve even scaled it up eightfold to fit in my 10-gallon post.

BEEG BEEG GUMBO

Ingredients

• A roux made of 1 cup oil (I use canola) and an equal amount of all-purpose flour by weight, a note on this to follow

• 2 cups onions, chopped

• 1 cup celery, chopped

• 1 cup bell peppers, chopped

• 1 lb. smoked sausage, chopped into half-moons (I like Richard’s, but if you’re not in a position to get that, Hillshire Farms will suffice)

• 1.5 tsp salt

• 0.5 tsp cayenne

• 3 bay leaves

• 1.5 quarts chicken stock (aka “6 cups,” I used the homemade stuff from last week in this one)

• 1.5 lbs. boneless chicken thighs, cut into roughly 1-2 in. pieces

• 2 tbsps. Parsley

• One bunch green onions

• 1 tbsp. file powder (you can get it online, or your local grocery store may have it)

• Cajun seasoning (Tony’s, Slap Ya Mama, Poppa Earle’s, what have you)

As always, we’re going to start with a roux. Now, when most recipes call for a roux, they tend to say something along the lines of “one cup oil and one cup flour.” However, I eventually noticed that would lead to an enormous amount of oil cooking out of my gumbo, and a thinner, less flavorful final product.

After some research and a little digging around, I learned that the 1:1 ratio is correct, but it should be 1:1 by weight rather than by volume. One cup of oil weighs approximately 7.5 oz, so you should use an equal amount of flour. If you don’t own a food scale and you’re going by volume, I’d say probably 1.5 cups of flour for every cup of oil should suffice. As your roux browns, you should notice it becoming more paste-like. If it’s not, you need to throw in some more flour.

We’re going to cook this over medium to medium-high heat until it gets to be the color of a Hershey bar. The important thing is to keep it moving, that way the roux browns and develops all that toasty goodness without burning. As it darkens it’ll take on a nutty aroma. I stir mine using a flat wooden spoon or a silicone whisk, but you can buy a purpose-made roux spoon too. I have no set time frame for making a roux, I stand over it, stir as if my life depends on it, and it’s done when it’s done (this is a good mantra for making gumbo). It should look something like this when you’re finished, though the overhead lighting in my kitchen washes out the color a little bit.

When the roux is done, toss in the trinity. Be careful, because it’s probably going to release a kickass and dangerous plume of steam. Once again, it’s important to keep everything moving. Cook the trinity down until it wilts a little, which will take about 5-10 minutes. Then add the sausage, salt, cayenne, and bay leaves.

Look at that beautiful sludge.

Once the trinity, roux, sausage, and spices are combined, it’s time to add the stock and kick the heat on the pot all the way up. Stir the pot until everything comes together well. We’re going to bring this entire mixture to a boil (you might be stirring a lot here).

Yeah buddy.

Once everything is well-mixed and your pot is boiling, drop the heat down to low and let it simmer for about an hour, giving it the occasional stir. Right before that hour is up, toss the raw chicken thighs in some Cajun seasoning, then put them into the pot. They’re going to poach and cook through in the pot. We’re going to keep this at a low simmer for about 90 more minutes, maybe with a very slight boil. Skim the fat off the surface of the gumbo as it cooks out of the proteins. A fat separator really helps here and allows you to keep more of the gumbo base while getting rid of the excess grease.

After that time passes, we’re going to kick the heat up just a little, enough to get the pot to a slightly rolling boil. We’re going to let this go for another half-hour, and by now the base of the gumbo should have reduced to a nice, silky consistency.

From here, you can use a pair of kitchen shears (or just regular scissors to chop the green onions directly into the pot. I try to keep my cuts at around ¼ of an inch. Then you can go ahead and toss in the file powder, which will serve to thicken and give an additional layer of flavor to the dish, as well as the parsley.

hnnnnnnnnnngh

Congratulations. Give yourself a high-five, pat yourself on the back, celebrate however you want. You just made gumbo! Great job. You should celebrate your gumbo by eating some of it over rice, cauliflower rice, or potato salad if you’re feeling spicy. Remember some French bread to wipe your bowl with as well. I prefer mine over rice with some hot sauce.

As for this gumbo, it was easily the best one I’ve ever made. The homemade stock gave it a greater depth of flavor and added layers of complexity that I never noticed when I use the boxed stuff. My final verdict: if you’re able to make your own stock, always do so. However don’t sweat it if you can’t, we don’t have infinite time to do infinite things, and sometimes you’ve got to save time where you can. But if you are able, do it. It’s a game-changer for any dish.

Anyway, that’s it for this week. Next week will include a Lenten pasta dish for all who observe (and even those who don’t). I’ll also talk about our trip to Italy a few years ago and discovering the joys of fresh pasta. If you made it to the end of this issue, send me your favorite YouTube video. Y’all take it easy.

Thank you for reading the Gulf Coastal. If you have any thoughts, comments, or suggestions, feel free to send them to me at rauzachary@gmail.com. And if you like the newsletter please tell anyone you can, any way you can. You can even share using the button below. Have a good week and happy Mardi Gras!