Gumbo opinions (2 Viewers)

Well, first make a roux!
And per the entire board whatever you do throw that potato salad out the window.
i'd never even heard of the potato salad thing until moving to br. apparently it is a thing.

now, i have tried gumbo with jambalaya rice, and i must say, it wasn't that bad. still, i'd prefer good ol' white rice.
 
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 know people like to be jar roux snobs, but there really is no point in making your own roux. I wouldn't use the dry stuff, but the wet roux in the jar is exactly the same thing that you would make on your own stove. Either way, it's just flour and oil. There is literally no difference.
 
I know people like to be jar roux snobs, but there really is no point in making your own roux. I wouldn't use the dry stuff, but the wet roux in the jar is exactly the same thing that you would make on your own stove. Either way, it's just flour and oil. There is literally no difference.
pretty much, but if you are cooking a bunch of gumbo, may as well make the roux. it is cheaper.
 
There's something I don't care for in the jar roux with the oil in it. I think it's the oil itself.
Anyway, gunbo is done and came out perfect! Made my roux around copper color then threw onions and celery in. Chopped bell peppers and garlic while that cooked. Sauteed the peppers and garlic, in went broth and a bit of crushed tomatoes and half the crabmeat. Let that cook a good while.
Of course seasoned with the dry spices and herbs, hot sauce and cayenne ,
Weirdly probably to all of you but a bit of sugar also.
Added rest of crab and shrimp, it's delish if I say so myself.
 
I know people like to be jar roux snobs, but there really is no point in making your own roux. I wouldn't use the dry stuff, but the wet roux in the jar is exactly the same thing that you would make on your own stove. Either way, it's just flour and oil. There is literally no difference.
Ehhh, I get you, but it's not about snobbery. I'd definitely use it if I were a working parent responsible for cooking and had a hankering for gumbo. But there is definitely a difference in custom color choice, proportion of oil-to-flour and, occasionally, the quality of the oil.

My DiL uses it and her gumbo is fine. It's fine. It's just not next level.

Plus, there's something kinda zen about making a roux if you're a weekend cook (or a retired one!) who enjoys the process.
 
Ehhh, I get you, but it's not about snobbery. I'd definitely use it if I were a working parent responsible for cooking and had a hankering for gumbo. But there is definitely a difference in custom color choice, proportion of oil-to-flour and, occasionally, the quality of the oil.

My DiL uses it and her gumbo is fine. It's fine. It's just not next level.

Plus, there's something kinda zen about making a roux if you're a weekend cook (or a retired one!) who enjoys the process.

I guess if I had the time, I would do it. But, for me it's basically either use the jar and make gumbo, or don't make gumbo. And, I frankly like the consistency of the jar roux. I get that cooking can be art and the challenge of making good variations is interesting. But, I don't really have the time to play around and, at least for me, the variations just as often turn out less good as they turn out amazing. It's also possible that I just don't have a sophisticated enough palate to really taste the minute differences between jar roux and homemade roux.
 
Widge, do you think you could taste the difference between 2 pieces of fried shrimp, 1 fried in peanut oil, and the other fried in soybean oil?
 
Widge, do you think you could taste the difference between 2 pieces of fried shrimp, 1 fried in peanut oil, and the other fried in soybean oil?
Maybe, but I'm not sure which is better. And, there really isn't much difference between the two except that peanut oil reaches a much higher temperature without burning. I mean there are peanut oils that intentionally have peanut flavor, but the ones used for frying, outside of Asian cooking, try to get rid of all that taste.

But, this isn't frying. This is gumbo where you mix a bunch of different flavors to reach the end result. So any difference in any one thing is going to have a minor effect on the finished product. Beyond that, my Maw Maw and mother always used regular vegetable oil to make roux. They weren't using some fancy grape seed oil or something.

And, Gumbo's origin is as a way to use all the left over pieces of meat and the bones of things so I don't think it's really a particularly delicate dish that involves subtle flavors. It was a hearty mean designed to provide energy for people who did manual labor for a living.

But, I mean, if people can tell a difference and want to use certain types of oils to make roux, more power to them. I just really can't tell (or don't really care enough) about the difference. Especially since the time commitment for making roux is so high and would pretty much so make it impossible for me to make Gumbo.
 
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That's a long way of confirming you in fact don't have a sophisticated enough palate. I've never had shrimp fried in soybean oil, but I know for a fact many of the jar rouxs use soybean oil, and that's fine as it's a type of vegetable oil. But I can tell the difference from anything fried in peanut oil versus vegetable or canola.

I can also tell the difference from jar to fresh roux. The only way I can explain it is that the jar rouxs taste a bit "flat" to me. I personally won't ever use a jar roux, but I won't hate on someone who does. Cook how you want, just enjoy it.
 
That's a long way of confirming you in fact don't have a sophisticated enough palate.

I don't think I ever claimed otherwise. But, I mean, I don't really eat Gumbo looking for the subtle flavors. I either think it tastes good or it doesn't. Maybe I'll notice if it could use a bit more roux or a bit more salt, but that's about as deep as I care to go in analyzing Gumbo.
 
You didn't. I forgot the hehe emoji. I mean, this is a roux discussion. I'll see myself out. :cooking:
:beerchug:

It's all good. And I should know by now that people get really serious about Gumbo discussions. Plus, I'm nothing if not long winded. :)

But, at least I know better than to put beans, corn, peas, and carrots in Gumbo. You may laugh but I was talking to someone in Arkansas one time who told me that her family didn't like Gumbo. And then continued to explain that she didn't know why since she put all the beans, corn, peas, and carrots in it. I told her that I had good news for her. Her family may actually like Gumbo since whatever she made was not Gumbo.
 
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And, Gumbo's origin is as a way to use all the left over pieces of meat and the bones of things so I don't think it's really a particularly delicate dish that involves subtle flavors. It was a hearty mean designed to provide energy for people who did manual labor for a living.
Last I checked, okra didn’t have bones. Where you buying your okra from?
 
Last I checked, okra didn’t have bones. Where you buying your okra from?

I don't even use okra.

But, by bones I meant using the bones to make the broth.

By the way, at least to me, making your own broth makes a much bigger difference in how Gumbo tastes than using jar roux.
 

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