Gumbo

[Bozo_Casanova 25903]

22 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

She's not wrong.  I've used a jarred roux a coupla times.  I really couldn't tell a difference in the end product.

Oh, and if you're making a smoked chicken gumbo, pro tip: let the chicken cool.  Pick the meat off the bones, put the meat in the fridge for later.  Take the bones/scraps/carcass and boil down to make smoked chicken stock.  Use that as the base of your liquid when making your gumbo.  Winning.

I do this with my Greenberg Turkey at Thanksgiving too. 

[Brisketexan 103648]

Just now, Bozo_Casanova said:

I do this with my Greenberg Turkey at Thanksgiving too. 

Oh, man....turkey stock, whether it's roasted or smoked....it's the good stuff.  We used to work the thanksgiving dinner at church, roasted or smoked something like 18 turkeys.  After we served everyone, I'd bag up 4-5 carcasses, and make gallons of amazing stock.

[DalTxHornFan 3071]

4 hours ago, austingirl said:

 

The thing about roux is that while it's certainly a measure of pride (and the mark of a lot of practice) to be able to make a good one from scratch, it's only two basic ingredients - white flour and a neutral oil. Without the rest of the gumbo ingredients, there's not a big flavor difference between two rouxs cooked to the same color of doneness, whether it's made fresh or from a jar.

Boy, my coonass aunts and cousins from  Plaquemines Parish would sure disagree!  They once caught my Mom heating up some bottled roux in a microwave and never let that story go about her "cheating on her gumbo" for the rest of her life.

[austingirl 2178]

1 hour ago, DalTxHornFan said:

Boy, my coonass aunts and cousins from  Plaquemines Parish would sure disagree!  They once caught my Mom heating up some bottled roux in a microwave and never let that story go about her "cheating on her gumbo" for the rest of her life.

Yikes, microwaving roux is a great way to ruin a microwave.

[austingirl 2178]

On 5/26/2020 at 3:02 PM, Scooter Monzingo said:

Appreciate it. I want to take a crack at this and needed Gumbo for dummies.

You got this. A few tips - first, I really mean it when I say be patient with the roux. If it's your first time, you'll want to keep the heat around medium/low and it could take about 45 minutes. I usually have a fan pointed at me in the kitchen because it gets hot standing over the pot for that long. 

Also, overseason the gumbo - remember that you're serving it over rice and that'll dilute it somewhat.

 

[Braff Zacklin 13299]

Another roux tip--go the Alton Brown route and bake it in the oven. Takes a lot longer--90 minutes to two hours--but practically impossible to ruin and I'm busy doing other things, anyway, such as shelling shrimp, boiling the shells to make stock, slicing andouille, browning the sausage, then chopping veggies and getting the dry seasonings ready.

Just be sure to remove the roux from the oven and give it a good whisking every 20 or so minutes.

[HouTex 1838]

Roux is not hard. Use a cast iron skillet and a wisk. Don’t get distracted and keep wisking and you can get a good mahogany roux in 30 minutes. The key is how hot you have the fire. Start at medium high and keep stirring.

[AustinMT 952]

Braff and HouTex are both right.  The Alton Brown method works very well;  that said, I prefer the stirring-in-cast iron method.  Something about whisking and watching it darken

[Smax 3799]

I know a woman who lives in Breaux Bridge whose family uses jarred roux every one in a while. Seems sacrilege, but a lot of Cajuns do this.

Same a very good friend of mine, straight up coon ass from Broussard uses jarred roux too

[South Austin 51681]

59 minutes ago, AustinMT said:

Braff and HouTex are both right.  The Alton Brown method works very well;  that said, I prefer the stirring-in-cast iron method.  Something about whisking and watching it darken

And it’s more fun that way to drink beer while making the roux.

[South Austin 51681]

Question that might get me negged, but fuck it, it comes from a good place:

Can you make a roux with gluten-free flour that doesn't taste like donkey shit? 

Now hear me out . . . .

I ask because some good friends are gluten free.  And I don't mean in the bullshit sense.  I mean the wife and one of their kids have celiac where the slightest amount of gluten will fuck them up.  I've wanted to make gumbo for gatherings that they've attended but haven't because I've resisted any attempts to make gluten-free gumbo.  It feels wrong. 

Has anybody done this with moderate success?   

[austingirl 2178]

On 5/29/2020 at 10:27 AM, South Austin said:

Question that might get me negged, but fuck it, it comes from a good place:

Can you make a roux with gluten-free flour that doesn't taste like donkey shit? 

Now hear me out . . . .

I ask because some good friends are gluten free.  And I don't mean in the bullshit sense.  I mean the wife and one of their kids have celiac where the slightest amount of gluten will fuck them up.  I've wanted to make gumbo for gatherings that they've attended but haven't because I've resisted any attempts to make gluten-free gumbo.  It feels wrong. 

Has anybody done this with moderate success?   

I have not but that's an interesting culinary challenge. I would not use a straight nut flour, like almond or coconut - their inherent fat content would likely make it harder to control burning. A high-quality GF AP flour would probably yield the best results. I heard that King Arthur and Bob's Red Mill make good ones.If you can't get it to the right dark brown, make sure you brown the sausage and even the chicken before adding it to the pot - their browning will contribute to the overall color. Let us know how it goes if you try it.

[Kyrie Eleison 9312]

On 5/29/2020 at 10:27 AM, South Austin said:

Question that might get me negged, but fuck it, it comes from a good place:

Can you make a roux with gluten-free flour that doesn't taste like donkey shit? 

Now hear me out . . . .

I ask because some good friends are gluten free.  And I don't mean in the bullshit sense.  I mean the wife and one of their kids have celiac where the slightest amount of gluten will fuck them up.  I've wanted to make gumbo for gatherings that they've attended but haven't because I've resisted any attempts to make gluten-free gumbo.  It feels wrong. 

Has anybody done this with moderate success?   

yes...use rice flour.

it's different, but it'll do

[Reagan1k 3002]

I'm not suggesting this is a good idea or not, but if your GF roux tastes OK in the gumbo, but the color is too pale for your liking, you could change the appearance by gradually adding some Kitchen Bouquet to it, and it too is GF.  Flavors are mild.

Now pardon me while I run out the the cemetery and roll my grandmother back over. 

[HouTex 1838]

My grandmother and mother (both born in Louisiana) often would cheat by adding KB to gravy for a pot roast or other beef dish. But they would never add KB to a roux for a gumbo.

[Reagan1k 3002]

30 minutes ago, HouTex said:

My grandmother and mother (both born in Louisiana) often would cheat by adding KB to gravy for a pot roast or other beef dish. But they would never add KB to a roux for a gumbo.

Same  - but they'd also never heard of anyone wanting to make a roux with gluten free flour!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Anastasis 23214]

On 5/29/2020 at 6:57 AM, AustinMT said:

Braff and HouTex are both right.  The Alton Brown method works very well;  that said, I prefer the stirring-in-cast iron method.  Something about whisking and watching it darken

I do both.  Start in the oven to get a baseline and then fine tune the finish on the direct fire. 

[AustinMT 952]

28 minutes ago, Anastasis said:

I do both.  Start in the oven to get a baseline and then fine tune the finish on the direct fire. 

Tried it this way before as well, and it worked great.

[austingirl 2178]

6 hours ago, Reagan1k said:

Same  - but they'd also never heard of anyone wanting to make a roux with gluten free flour!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yeah...I mean at this point, you have to ask, what is it that the roux contributes to the gumbo? First, it's the dark color. In absence of a wheat flour that can toast to a dark brown without burning, Kitchen Bouquet can help. Second, it's that rich, toasty flavor. If you use low enough heat, then theoretically, you should be able to toast a nut flour as dark as you can get it without burning. The other main part is the thickening aspect. Luckily, toasted nuts in general have a thickening aspect in and of themselves, so hopefully that by toasting them as brown as you can get, they can also add a bit of body to your gumbo.

It will probably take trial and error, but I do think you can get there. Please let us know. Everyone deserves gumbo, allergies notwithstanding.

[elfenix 34123]

Seafood gumbo:

quart of crawfish stock, a lone star, some tomatoes that needed used, pound of okra (should drop this earlier next time, maybe 30 minutes left), pound of catfish, pound of scrimps, pint of oysters

 

 

 

Edited July 14, 2020 by elfenix

[Braff Zacklin 13299]

That is a beautiful fuckin' roux, @elfenix. Always one of my favorite threads to see bumped. Thanks for sharing.

[Coyote 269]

Getting things going today with ERhine’s famous oven roux.

[Coyote 269]

[TornACL 7654]

Looking good, sir.

[Coyote 269]

[Braff Zacklin 13299]

[CooterBrown 17760]

Question that might get me negged, but fuck it, it comes from a good place:

Can you make a roux with gluten-free flour that doesn't taste like donkey shit? 

Now hear me out . . . .

I ask because some good friends are gluten free.  And I don't mean in the bullshit sense.  I mean the wife and one of their kids have celiac where the slightest amount of gluten will fuck them up.  I've wanted to make gumbo for gatherings that they've attended but haven't because I've resisted any attempts to make gluten-free gumbo.  It feels wrong. 

Has anybody done this with moderate success?   

 

Just saw this. A few years ago, I made a roux with almond flour once for a friend who is allergic to gluten. It darkens very quickly so be on top of it. Flavor wise, there was no difference. What was different was that it was silky smooth, kinda like the consistency of chocolate milk. Granted, I didn’t eat a whole bowl of it since I just made that small batch on the side for her, but from my taste test, I thought it may have been better.

[DalTxHornFan 3071]

59 minutes ago, CooterBrown said:

 

Just saw this. A few years ago, I made a roux with almond flour once for a friend who is allergic to gluten. It darkens very quickly so be on top of it. Flavor wise, there was no difference. What was different was that it was silky smooth, kinda like the consistency of chocolate milk. Granted, I didn’t eat a whole bowl of it since I just made that small batch on the side for her, but from my taste test, I thought it may have been better.

l did something similar for a friend who has big problems with gluten.  Pulled aside some of the ingredients from the big gumbo I was making and made a small batch without roux.  Then added a slurry of corn starch and water at the end to thicken it up.  I wouldn't have eaten it, but she was pleased to have it.

[1978horn 867]

Starting to brown andouille for the gumbo I’m making for the game tonight!

[Braff Zacklin 13299]

Browner!

[elfenix 34123]

pretty sure i burned the shit out of the onions (well, the sugar in the onions) trying to make gumbo with a really dark roux.  do i need to add celery then pepper then onion separately?  started smelling like coffee almost immediately when i dumped all the trinity at once.  added stock then tasted and it was a bit of a burned flavor.  no black specks in the roux itself. 

[1978horn 867]

pretty sure i burned the shit out of the onions (well, the sugar in the onions) trying to make gumbo with a really dark roux.  do i need to add celery then pepper then onion separately?  started smelling like coffee almost immediately when i dumped all the trinity at once.  added stock then tasted and it was a bit of a burned flavor.  no black specks in the roux itself. 

I have always added them at the same time. Usually it cools the roux down pretty quickly with all the moisture. Haven’t had that problem before though. Would be interested to know if others have had that issue.

[elfenix 34123]

it was definitely the darkest i'd ever tried taking roux before. 

[1978horn 867]

it was definitely the darkest i'd ever tried taking roux before. 

I usually get it pretty dark. Will post a pic when I get done.

[1978horn 867]

How dark I got it this time. It took longer than usual and I got tired of stirring. I usually get a little darker.



Trinity in

[Braff Zacklin 13299]

That's how you roux the day. Looks A-OK to me.

[1978horn 867]

[RDCanecutter 25978]

Get in my belly.

[Anastasis 23214]

That looks great. 

[Royal With Cheese 3]

11 hours ago, 1978horn said:

Starting to brown andouille for the gumbo I’m making for the game tonight!

WTF?

[1978horn 867]

WTF?

Learned it from a Louisiana girl 15 yrs ago and haven’t gone back.

Can’t remember who said it on TOS after people bitched and complained about seafood v chicken and andouille and okra v no okra.

Rule #1 make a good roux
Rule #2 put whatever the fuck you want in it.

Make it taste good as hell and you have nothing else to worry about.

[After irth 1240]

2 minutes ago, 1978horn said:

 

Learned it from a Louisiana girl 15 yrs ago and haven’t gone back.

Can’t remember who said it on TOS after people bitched and complained about seafood v chicken and andouille and okra v no okra.

Rule #1 make a good roux
Rule #2 put whatever the fuck you want in it.

Make it taste good as hell and you have nothing else to worry about.

 

Total pos rep. 

Browned Andouille goes in my Gumbo every time, along with my homemade Tasso. Any other meat is purely optional, mood and/or availability dependent at the time. 

Your general attitude about Gumbo is spot-on, indeed!  

Cheers!

[South Austin 51681]

Yeah, I know Cajuns who brown their Andouille before putting it in the gumbo.

[Mitch Cumsteen 18412]

I used to always brown the andouille before putting it in the gumbo but the last few times I've gotten lazy and just thrown it in and I think I prefer it that way. Plus, it's way less of a hassle and less shit to clean.

Also, I don't know if it was on this thread or another, but whoever suggested putting a scoop of potato salet in their gumbo.... yeah, that fucking works.

 

[Redneck Mutha 7867]

Browner here.  We coat and fry the thighs first, take them out, then brown the andouille in those drippings.  After browning, we use all the grease from the thighs and andouille and then add a couple tablespoons of bacon grease to make the roux.  I cook the bacon on the smoker, so that adds some smoke flavor.

I'll probably get negged to Bolivia but our roux process is to take that chicken/andouille/bacon grease and slowly start whisking in Oak Grove Smokehouse Gumbo Base.  I guess we don't use as much grease as most because it almost turns into a paste-like ball, not the chocolate syrup consistency most have.  As it gets darker, we keep stirring until it's right on the edge of burning, med-high heat.  Doing it like this speeds up the process, 10 min tops.  I guess it might be a Yankee way of doing it, but it works for us.

Once it's as dark as you are brave enough to go with it, add in the trinity and coat them with the thick roux while they sweat.  Then add stock, add back the andouille and thighs, seasonings.  Sometimes okra, sometimes not (cue "okra-less gumbo is not gumbo" conversation).  Simmer as long as you can stand to not eat it.  Right before serving, debone/deknuckle the thighs.  Damn we're overdue for a pot...

[After irth 1240]

Not Gumbo, but I made a very serviceable pot of Creole last week, starting with some smoked thighs. 

Had to start with a snack first, while I waited on the thighs. 
 

 

[South Austin 51681]

First, you don’t make a roux?

[After irth 1240]

1 hour ago, South Austin said:

First, you don’t make a roux?

I know, but it was still too damn hot for Gumbo. 

Totally goes against everything my kitchen stands for. 

[Kyrie Eleison 9312]

don't ever make a roux in a nonstick pan or skillet...you'll fuck it up.

[Neonmoon 38126]

Weather dropped. Time to make Gumbo