Gumbo opinions (1 Viewer)

I've switched to Alton Browns oven roux method. Basically mix your oil and flour then bake at 350 stir every 30mins until it reaches your desired color. You have to start earlier, but it's less danger of burning and barely any labor.
Must try this! I know you can make a dry roux in the oven, never thought of it that way.
 
I've switched to Alton Browns oven roux method. Basically mix your oil and flour then bake at 350 stir every 30mins until it reaches your desired color. You have to start earlier, but it's less danger of burning and barely any labor.

I like making roux. Hell, gumbo for me is like stir fry. You have to have your onions, peppers and celery sitting chopped and ready to go.

Anyway, I make my roux hot. I don't have the patience for 30 minutes so I get my pot hot and put my oil in it and I fry my flour hot. Typically I can get to mahogany in less than 15 minutes and 2 cold beers, but when you cook it that fast you have to be ready to get your onions in the pot and heat down to low in a hurry.

Try it sometime. When you toss your onions in frying flour that's already the color of mahogany it will go from dark to very dark in about 15 seconds and then you can add your celery and peppers to sort of cool it down before moving to proteins and spices.

I'll usually brown my chicken and sausage in another pan while the stock is coming up to boil and just pour in all the pan juices.

Works for me.
 
Just keep the damn tater salad out of it.



This.

Lately i see a lot of debate about whether or not you should put potato salad in your gumbo; it’s funny becuase no one was more Cajun than my Great MawMaw T and potato salad never came anywhere near her gumbo.. matter of fact, i think she would have looked as disapprovingly on potato salad in gumbo as she would look at roux in a damn jar.. also i had many other family members who were steeped in the Cajun cooking methods, and none of them ever made potato salad with gumbo, much less put it *in* the gumbo.. yet just in the last 5 or 10 yrs ive learned that lots of people do it.. i believe that they are misguided , and simply dont know any better… seems like a north Louisiana thing or somehting .
 
I like making roux. Hell, gumbo for me is like stir fry. You have to have your onions, peppers and celery sitting chopped and ready to go.

Anyway, I make my roux hot. I don't have the patience for 30 minutes so I get my pot hot and put my oil in it and I fry my flour hot. Typically I can get to mahogany in less than 15 minutes and 2 cold beers, but when you cook it that fast you have to be ready to get your onions in the pot and heat down to low in a hurry.

Try it sometime. When you toss your onions in frying flour that's already the color of mahogany it will go from dark to very dark in about 15 seconds and then you can add your celery and peppers to sort of cool it down before moving to proteins and spices.

I'll usually brown my chicken and sausage in another pan while the stock is coming up to boil and just pour in all the pan juices.

Works for me.
This is exactly the way I do roux/seasoning veg. The only thing now is no overly dark roux, reflux city.
I never add the bell peppers with the onions and celery, let everything cook and cool a bit, same with garlic.
I love the way everyone has their own ways, thanks Maw!🥰
 
Generally your roux is gonna have less thickening power the darker it gets. It sounds like you just need to use more (from the jar) or just make more. I use equal parts by weight of flour and grape seed oil. Bread flour (high gluten) works well too for roux.
 
I like making roux. Hell, gumbo for me is like stir fry. You have to have your onions, peppers and celery sitting chopped and ready to go.

Anyway, I make my roux hot. I don't have the patience for 30 minutes so I get my pot hot and put my oil in it and I fry my flour hot. Typically I can get to mahogany in less than 15 minutes and 2 cold beers, but when you cook it that fast you have to be ready to get your onions in the pot and heat down to low in a hurry.

Try it sometime. When you toss your onions in frying flour that's already the color of mahogany it will go from dark to very dark in about 15 seconds and then you can add your celery and peppers to sort of cool it down before moving to proteins and spices.

I'll usually brown my chicken and sausage in another pan while the stock is coming up to boil and just pour in all the pan juices.

Works for me.
Yeah, boy. Man, there is nothing like that smell when the trinity hits that hot roux in the cast iron! (I always go onion first in my cooking, except with roux -- I take it almost right up to th color I want and then slam the brakes on it cooking with the water in the celery and green pepper). I have to slap my wife's hand 'cause she'll come over with a spoon and eat the roux just like that (I know, right?? Blech!).

And when I do seafood gumbo, I bring that roux right near up to black. Takes a bit, and it'll burn if you relax for a second, but whoo boy it's worth it!!
 
Tyet just in the last 5 or 10 yrs ive learned that lots of people do it.. i believe that they are misguided , and simply dont know any better… seems like a north Louisiana thing or somehting .
I always thought it was heresy until I tried it. I'll eat it now but only on the second helping and only with non-mayo potato salad. Prudhomme had a really good green onion potato salad that's awesone with chicken and sausage gumbo.
 
I always thought it was heresy until I tried it. I'll eat it now but only on the second helping and only with non-mayo potato salad. Prudhomme had a really good green onion potato salad that's awesone with chicken and sausage gumbo.




Interesting.. i mean, not interesting enough to ever try it in gumbo, but interesting to me, as an anti-mayo-ite, that there exist varieties of potato salad without mayonnaise…. The only non-mayo based potato salad i ever had was made by my ex’s friend who was Lebanese.. nice to know that Prudhomme made one too, I’ll have to try it (just not in gumbo.)
 
I've proven time and time again that I suck at making seafood gumbos, they're not bad... some are even good, but still not to "damn, that was great" level. Therefore, in the interest of preserving your family relations under such heavy pressure, I respectfully recuse myself from participation.
It's a lot of work but worth it. It's based on a Frank Davis recipe that I've worked over time. The key is making the darkest roux you can without burning, and frying down the tomato-okra mixture in the apple cider vinegar until the okra is completely broken down.
 

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Interesting.. i mean, not interesting enough to ever try it in gumbo, but interesting to me, as an anti-mayo-ite, that there exist varieties of potato salad without mayonnaise…. The only non-mayo based potato salad i ever had was made by my ex’s friend who was Lebanese.. nice to know that Prudhomme made one too, I’ll have to try it (just not in gumbo.)
lol, you must have been one of the ones giving me grief over eating mayo, mustard and ketchup with thick cheese fries!
 
How dark do you take the roux?

lighter caramel color or more dark chocolate?
 

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