How To Make Gumbo
Posted: Thursday, January 07, 2010
by Laura Trahan
Gumbo is a soup like substance that was created in Louisiana that is said to mold together the different cultures of the state.
What is interesting about this dish is the history that Gumbo possesses. When you cook and serve this dish, you serve a history of techniques, memories and tastes.
According to wikipedia, the dish can be traced back as far as the 1800s. “ Gumbo has been called the greatest contribution of Louisiana kitchens to American cuisine. The dish has its origins in the meeting of cultures that occurred in Louisiana during the 18th century. French cooking techniques provided the beginning with bouillabaisse. The native Choctaw's file powder and local seafood were a major addition to the local cuisine," the site contends. “West African slaves' imported okra found its way into the Louisiana kitchens, and provided gumbo with its name. Bell peppers, tomatoes and cooked onions were brought to the table by Spanish colonists.'
Hence, the hesitancy for me to ever try making it. We have been married 11 years and for the first time ever, I made gumbo for my family. I have been intimidated for years, but a gift of recipes from my mother-in-law finally inspired me to try making the dish. That and my husband's begging.
In the spirit of the Writing contest, I decided to share my experience.
For years, I have heard that to make a successful gumbo, you had to have a “good roux." That told me nothing. I envisioned throwing away pan after pan since it was burnt to a char black at the bottom. My advice is jump in. It is the only way to learn.
How to make the roux- Take one cup of Crisco and approximately one cup of flour. You want the same amount of Crisco as flour. Make sure you have a heavy bottom pan. Mix the two ingredients on medium heat stirring to make a thick paste. You do not want your heat to high or it will burn. Then the gumbo is ruined. You have to cook it slowly for about one hour, stirring it throughout the process. You want it to be a dark caramel brown. You do not want black and you do not want lighter. Once you master the Roux-gumbo is a breeze.
At this point, I would like to say that different people use different ingredients. I am going to share the recipe passed down to me from my mother-in-law. They do not put okra in their gumbo, yet I know that is a common practice as well.
The next step after the Roux is the perfect color is to add chopped onion. This is a taste thing. We learned after our first batch that from now on, we will only use half an onion. The recipe we have is for one onion. At this point, others have used the holy trinity, which is onion, bell pepper and celery.
You continue stirring and cooking until the onion is tender. Slowly add hot water, stirring to mix thoroughly. The trick here is to make sure your water is hot. You want the roux to mix into the water. Add seasoning. You can add some cajun seasoning, creole seasoning or just plain salt and pepper to taste. I think this is where our first batch failed. We counted too much on our meat to add the seasoning. With so much water, you have to season well.
Next add the meat. You can add chicken and sausage, duck and sausage, shrimp, etc. Cook for one to two hours. The longer it cooks, the better it tastes. If making shrimp gumbo, make sure to cook an hour before adding the shrimp.
Then serve over rice.
Gumbo takes a lot of patience, but it is well worth it. I hope with these easy steps, you can begin the traditions that come a long with this meal in your own family.
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