Can a Minnesotan make a good gumbo? (1 Viewer)

[boutrous]

Thanks!
I've only had gumbo in a restaurant or two. They had the rice in there when they brought it to my table. Didn't know if it was in the mix or in the bowl with gumbo on top.

Overall Blue Reader is nailing the roux discussion, so I'll just post my simple Cajun recipe:

1 chopped onion (sweet or yellow... not white or red)
1 chopped bell pepper (I prefer green for gumbo, but red will do)
6 stalks chopped celery (slice stalks in 4ths long ways, then chop)
salt
Creole Seasoning (I use Tony's but not sure what you can get up there)
Gumbo File (ground sassafras)
1 cup of white all-purpose flour
1 cup of canola oil (or butter, but I prefer oil for gumbo and butter for ettoufee)
3 bone-in chicken breasts (or whatever bone-in pieces you like... legs and thighs works great)
1 lb sliced sausage of your choice (Andouille works best, but use what you like)

white rice

Get a stock pot, roughly 12 - 15 Qts (I highly recommend the 14-Qt Magnalite). Place it on high heat. Add the cup of oil. Slowly wisk in the flour. Continue to stir and watch until the roux is the color you want. I prefer milk heading into dark chocolate. Reduce to medium heat and dump in the vegetables and stir to coat them and cool down the roux. Sprinkle with salt. Sometimes I have to add a splash or two of water to make sure the roux doesn't keep darkening. Let the vegetables cook down for a few mins and start to become tender. Spread evenly over the bottom of the pot and crank the heat back up to high. Place the chicken skin side down pressing into the roux and liberally coat the exposed side with Creole Seasoning. After a min or 2 of searing the skin, add about 1 gallon of water and stir well. Bring to a rolling boil. Drop in your sausage and stir in about a tablespoon of Gumbo File. Cover and cut heat to as low as it goes. Let it simmer for at least 30 to 45 mins, stirring occasionally. When you are ready to eat, pull out chicken, shred it off the bones, and stir the meat back in. Serve over rice.

 

[wnelson]

I also use at least 2 cups of roux.... if done right it acts more as emulsifier than anything. and with a dry roux I will do 2.5 cups...

 

[VikesFan2017]

We can get creole seasonings here. Gumbo file... never saw that up here. Might have to buy a bottle of that online if I don't see it in my store.



How often do you have gumbo down there?
Is it a regular bi-weekly / monthly staple or is it a couple times a year on a cold evening kind of dish?

 

[wnelson]

We can get creole seasonings here. Gumbo file... never saw that up here. Might have to buy a bottle of that online if I don't see it in my store.



How often do you have gumbo down there?
Is it a regular bi-weekly / monthly staple or is it a couple times a year on a cold evening kind of dish?

I make a batch in october that feeds us 4 times and I make a big batch for my in laws on Easter and we portion and freeze those leftovers and eat whenever we want.

Also, if you like potato salad, it's pretty awesome with bird gumbo.

 

[boutrous]

I make a batch in october that feeds us 4 times and I make a big batch for my in laws on Easter and we portion and freeze those leftovers and eat whenever we want.

Also, if you like potato salad, it's pretty awesome with bird gumbo.

I didn't think he was advanced enough yet to handle potato salad.

 

[boutrous]

We can get creole seasonings here. Gumbo file... never saw that up here. Might have to buy a bottle of that online if I don't see it in my store.



How often do you have gumbo down there?
Is it a regular bi-weekly / monthly staple or is it a couple times a year on a cold evening kind of dish?

Yea the file I wasn't sure about. Some people do bay leaves and thyme and then fish it out later, but I much prefer the file.

Growing up we made it at least once a month, especially if we had family coming over. But I also grew up in cajun country and not New Orleans. Now I only make it 2 or 3 times a year. Like others said, it freezes great. My wife gets seafood gumbo in just about every local restaurant we go to, but I'm a lot more picky about it than she is. There is only one or 2 places I really like. This thread is weird timing because we were both just craving Gumbo last night and so was about 3 or 4 other people I happened to talk to yesterday. I guess it's in the air up there, too.

 

[antipop]

if you actually do find some okra, please throw it directly into the trash can

 

[buzd]

Yea the file I wasn't sure about. Some people do bay leaves and thyme and then fish it out later, but I much prefer the file.

Those things don't fulfill the same role, IMO.

 

[Zack Lee]

I second @buzd on Mr B. gumbo ya ya. that is the one I make.

And if you ever want to venture over into jambalaya, https://www.food.com/recipe/paul-prudhommes-poormans-jambalaya-72415

Ive checked this against his cookbook its the same which is what I use. Although you may want to cut his peppers by about half to two thirds. Chef Prudhomme was known to make stuff insanely hot even by Cajun standards, but some of the tastiest dishes you will ever find.

 

[Krodwhodat]

I second @buzd on Mr B. gumbo ya ya. that is the one I make.

And if you ever want to venture over into jambalaya, https://www.food.com/recipe/paul-prudhommes-poormans-jambalaya-72415

Ive checked this against his cookbook its the same which is what I use. Although you may want to cut his peppers by about half to two thirds

I use this and it’s awesome!

The Jambalaya Calculator could only exist in Louisiana

Stadium Rat's Jambalaya

www.nola.com

 

[guidomerkinsrules]

First, you make a roux.

The joke that writes itself

 

[guidomerkinsrules]

It gets stronger. Make a roux with unsalted butter and sifted all-purpose flour. When it gets to caramel-colored (light) take a spoonful out and set it aside to cool a little. DO NOT TASTE UNTIL IT COOLS - we call roux Cajun Napalm. DO NOT SPLASH IT ON TO YOUR SKIN - the scars will be permanent after the pain subsides. If you arent experienced at making a roux make sure no children are present in the kitchen.

You should get a nutty flavor from the caramel-colored roux. Continue cooking until the color reaches that of milk chocolate and retrieve a spoonful. Allow it to cool, then taste. Should be a stronger nuttier flavor and the kitchen will smell delicious.

Continue cooking, you're looking for dark chocolate. Again, retrieve a spoonful. The flavor will be unlike anything you've tasted before. Rich, buttery and, if a flavor can be called this, brown. This is the holy grail of roux for smoked meats.

If you scorch a roux don't be afraid to throw it out and start again.

mmm.... I would say until he has a few rouxs under his belt, he should stop at milk chocolate
scorching is just too frustrating early on - esp if you have all the ingredients ready to go

 

[MLU]

Yeh... that okra...
I'm going to have to skip that step.

I can find andouille but okra is going to be unlikely.

Check the frozen foods section. I have seen it the frozen foods in Duluth, MN years ago. File is not really necessary, especially if you have okra. Andouille is great if you can get it, but almost any high quality smoked sausage will work. I use boneless, skinless thighs. I also cook everything in a cast iron Dutch oven. IMO, it makes a difference.

Find just about any recipe to use. Some of the details that I find make a difference are browning the sausage, then browning the chicken first in the cast iron Dutch oven. The texture of browned meat improves the flavor, IMO. Set the meat aside and then add some oil to the pot (bacon grease is best) and start making the roux, making sure to scrape all the bits of browned fat off the bottom of the pot. I use a wisk, but wooden spoons are good, too. These are flakes of gold in a gumbo. Don't be afraid to deglaze the pot with (non-light) beer.

Also, the roux should be dark. Don't worry about it being too dark. It will lighten considerably when you add stock later. If you burn the roux, don't worry about it. Toss it and start over. Everyone burns a roux. This will also require another beer.

Once the roux is made, add the Trinity (chopped onion, bell pepper and celery) to soften it. After the liquid has been added, you can throw in 4-5 toes of minced garlic. Never use water. Either buy or make stock to use. After Thanksgiving, we use the smoked turkey carcass to make stock for the best gumbo you will ever eat. I have make stock in a crock pot with wings pieces. I have bought cartons of stock at the store. There's no wrong way except to use plain water.

Once everything is mixed in with liquid, add the okra, meats, etc. Hold off on shrimp until it's ready to eat. Simmer for an hour and then season with Cajun seasoning. Add shrimp when you turn off the flame to the pot of you want to use shrimp. If you add it sooner it will cook too long.

The important part is the roux. It's really hard to mess up gumbo when the roux is on point. Ladle the gumbo into bowls and place a scoop of rice on top. The ratio of gumbo to rice should be (IMO) 3:1.

 

[buzd]

Check the frozen foods section. I have seen it the frozen foods in Duluth, MN years ago. File is not really necessary, especially if you have okra. Andouille is great if you can get it, but almost any high quality smoked sausage will work. I use boneless, skinless thighs. I also cook everything in a cast iron Dutch oven. IMO, it makes a difference.

Find just about any recipe to use. Some of the details that I find make a difference are browning the sausage, then browning the chicken first in the cast iron Dutch oven. The texture of browned meat improves the flavor, IMO. Set the meat aside and then add some oil to the pot (bacon grease is best) and start making the roux, making sure to scrape all the bits of browned fat off the bottom of the pot. I use a wisk, but wooden spoons are good, too. These are flakes of gold in a gumbo. Don't be afraid to deglaze the pot with (non-light) beer.

Also, the roux should be dark. Don't worry about it being too dark. It will lighten considerably when you add stock later. If you burn the roux, don't worry about it. Toss it and start over. Everyone burns a roux. This will also require another beer.

Once the roux is made, add the Trinity (chopped onion, bell pepper and celery) to soften it. After the liquid has been added, you can throw in 4-5 toes of minced garlic. Never use water. Either buy or make stock to use. After Thanksgiving, we use the smoked turkey carcass to make stock for the best gumbo you will ever eat. I have make stock in a crock pot with wings pieces. I have bought cartons of stock at the store. There's no wrong way except to use plain water.

Once everything is mixed in with liquid, add the okra, meats, etc. Hold off on shrimp until it's ready to eat. Simmer for an hour and then season with Cajun seasoning. Add shrimp when you turn off the flame to the pot of you want to use shrimp. If you add it sooner it will cook too long.

The important part is the roux. It's really hard to mess up gumbo when the roux is on point. Ladle the gumbo into bowls and place a scoop of rice on top. The ratio of gumbo to rice should be (IMO) 3:1.

Pretty much all good advice here.

Let me add that a tip that I think came originally from John Besh was to add your onions to the roux before adding the peppers and celery. You can get a nice caramelization on your onions before adding your peppers and celery (which add a lot more water to the mix). It works.

 

[VikesFan2017]

I didn't think he was advanced enough yet to handle potato salad.

We do potato salad up here. Some like it egg-ey and some like it mustardy. Some like it with that German vinegar style. Lot of Germans around these parts so potato salad is pretty common. My sister in law whips up a great batch for many get togethers.

But gumbo... nope. Jambalaya? Pretty much only at a few restaurants. Most of those foods require spices other than black pepper and salt so it's a no go around these parts.