What makes a great gumbo?
- Isaac Toups' Critter Gumbo
- Serves 8-10
- 1 cup grape seed oil plus two tablespoons
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 large onion diced
- 2 green bell pepper diced
- 3 ribs celrey diced
- 8 cloves garlic minced
- 2 jalapeños minced
- 12 oz dark beer
What is best to serve with gumbo?
What to Serve with Gumbo: 14 Awesome Dishes
- Hush Puppies. These deep-fried, golden-brown balls of cornmeal are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. ...
- Fresh Salad. If you want something light with gumbo, then trust me there is nothing better than a bowl loaded with a fresh salad!
- Cornbread. ...
- Okra. ...
- Rice. ...
- Corn on the Cob. ...
- Coleslaw. ...
- Sweet Potato Wedges. ...
- Shrimp Remoulade. ...
- Potato Salad. ...
Why is gumbo so popular in the Cajun culture?
The wind is beginning to blow in a new direction. The air is turning colder and in the south the Gumbo pots are getting hotter. Gumbo has become the iconic dish of the Cajun culture. It is believed that gumbo originated in Louisiana in the early 18th century. The exact cultural origin of gumbo is diverse as the ingredients that go into the dish.
How to make the best gumbo ever?
- Start with equal parts of flour and fat. If you’re making a white or blond roux, butter is the ideal fat to use. ...
- Put the flour and the fat in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium-low heat. ...
- While the roux is coming together, stir every 15 to 30 seconds. ...
- Cook your roux to its desired color level. ...
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Is gumbo really spicy?
Just think – a warm bowl of rice topped with a slow-simmered, tomato-based stew loaded with aromatics like onions, peppers, and celery. It's spicy, hearty, and completely made-from-scratch.
Why is gumbo so good?
Gumbo is essentially an edible metaphor. Much like the cultures in this region, gumbo is a rich and diverse blend. It's made up of varying flavors and cooking techniques each equally fantastic on their own but together, they create a culinary symphony.
What is gumbo roux supposed to taste like?
Dark-brown roux looks like dark melted chocolate and tastes like rich campfire coffee with hints of tobacco. Dark roux is essential in building the flavor of traditional gumbo and usually achieves its color within 30–45 minutes of cooking, but it depends on the amount you make as well as the heat you use to cook it.
What is typically in gumbo?
Gumbo consists primarily of a strongly-flavored stock, meat or shellfish, a thickener, and the Creole "holy trinity" ― celery, bell peppers, and onions. Gumbo is often categorized by the type of thickener used, whether okra or filé powder (dried and ground sassafras leaves).
Is gumbo soupy or thick?
Gumbo is much denser than a simple soup; the broth has a thick, almost viscous consistency. And that characteristic is most commonly created by making a roux, cooking flour and oil together until they thicken and darken. Otherwise, gumbo can be thickened with file, which is just powdered dried sassafras leaves.
Which is better gumbo or jambalaya?
Gumbo is a soup or stew that is served alongside or on top of rice. Jambalaya is a casserole that is cooked in the same pot as the rice. They are both meat and rice dishes that originated in New Orleans....Comparison chart.GumboJambalayaConsistencyThickerThinnerRiceCooked separatelyCooked in same pot4 more rows
Does gumbo have a bitter taste?
"The reason is, once butter gets to a certain temp the fat and solids separate, this will occur before you get the roux to the color you want it, then the solids will begin to burn," says Harden. This will leave your gumbo with a burnt bitter flavor, so instead opt for vegetable oil or even lard as the roux's fat.
Does roux smell like popcorn?
Golden roux takes about 20 minutes and will start to smell like popcorn.
Why does gumbo spoil so quickly?
An insulated cooler stays cold longer than a plastic one. Once the ice packs have melted, spoilage can occur, making it important to eat the gumbo right away or get it into a refrigerator or freezer. Another option is to freeze the gumbo prior to transporting it, which gives you a longer period before spoilage begins.
What do you eat with gumbo?
What to Serve with Gumbo: 11 Tasty Side DishesRice. It's probably the most traditional thing served with gumbo, and for good reason. ... Cornbread. Just like gumbo, cornbread is a staple in Southern cuisine. ... Hush Puppies. ... Cheese Bread. ... Potato Salad. ... Coleslaw. ... Okra. ... Corn on the Cob.More items...•
What does gumbo work well with?
Usually gumbo is served with a rice bowl. A portion of fresh salad with greenery and some veggies and some corn bread or French bread are a perfect addition to the taste and flavor of this exquisite seafood stew.
What is gumbo without okra called?
Jambalaya is similar to gumbo in that it's a stew made from meat and vegetables (and includes the “Holy Trinity” as a base) but does not include the okra or filé powder as a thickener. Jambalaya is also prepared with rice, but the rice is integrated into the stew while cooking the other ingredients.
Etymology
The name of the dish comes most likely from Africa by way of Louisiana French. Scholars and chefs have offered various explanations for the etymology of the word "gumbo". The dish was likely named after one of its two main ingredients, okra or filé.
Variations
Gumbo is a veritable art form in Louisiana. There are as many gumbo recipes as there are cooks.
History
Gumbo is often used as a metaphor for the mix of cultures that exist in southern Louisiana. The dish combines the culinary practices of Africans, Native Americans, French, and Spanish. In the 18th and 19th centuries, people from these cultures lived within a fairly small area with minimal mobility.
Preparation and serving
Gumbo is cooked for a minimum of three hours, and often simmers all day. Meat (but not seafood) is often browned beforehand and removed from the heat. Okra and roux are cooked before other vegetables and seafood. Okra is removed from heat when it reaches the desired consistency, while roux remains in the pot.
Social aspects
In Cajun Foodways, C. Paige Gutierrez describes gumbo as "an economical dish" useful for "feed [ing] a large number of people with a small amount of meat or seafood". Nobles concurs that "one of the hallmarks of gumbo is that, with a big enough pot, it can easily be doubled or tripled and is always a good choice to feed a crowd".
Gumbo vs. jambalaya
Jambalaya is primarily a rice dish (think paella) while gumbo is more of a stew that is thickened with a roux and made with chicken, sausage, and/or seafood. Both gumbo and jambalaya are often made with some similar meats and vegetables but the process of making them and flavors of the end result are completely different.
The key to this recipe is the Roux!
A “roux” is made with two ingredients; flour and oil, and it’s the key to any great gumbo recipe! The flour and oil are cooked and stirred together for about 30-45 minutes until it becomes dark brown almost like mud, or chocolate and the consistency of dough.
Step-by-step Authentic Gumbo
1. Make the roux. in a large pot, combine flour and oil and cook, stirring constantly on medium low heat. You have to be careful to stir it constantly, on medium low heat, so that you don’t burn it. It’s easy, but takes patience. The darker the roux, the richer the flavor!
Authentic New Orleans Style Gumbo
This Authentic New Orleans Gumbo is made with a dark roux, vegetables, chicken, sausage, and shrimp, and served over rice.
1. Undercooking the Roux
In order to develop a deep roasted flavor in your gumbo, you should cook your roux — being careful not to burn — until it is a deep dark brown color.
2. Not Adding Enough Flour
If you don't use enough flour, the roux will be watery. "Often times people do not make the roux thick enough and it will result in a gumbo that is more like a soup than a stew," says Dickensauge. You want to add enough flour to your fat until the roux is like a paste.
3. Using the Wrong Vegetables
Another mistake made when cooking gumbo, says Rizza, is forgetting to add in the "holy trinity" at the start of the process, or even using the wrong veggies. People will often use a classic mirepoix consisting of onions, celery, and carrots, but instead your vegetables should consist of onions, celery, and green bell peppers.
4. Adding the Proteins in the Incorrect Order
Rizza says the main proteins are regularly added in the wrong order. "Ideally, add the chicken first, then the andouille, and shellfish last because it cooks the fastest," he says. Mess it up and you may not get the texture you wanted from the meats, which could negatively impact the dish overall.
5. Using Water and Not Stock
Some people begin cooking gumbo with water rather than a stock, resulting in a less flavorful finished product. "Stocks to use vary based on the type of gumbo you would like to make.
6. Adding Okra Too Early
Okra acts as a thickening agent. Sautéing or adding the okra too early will break down the structure of the vegetable and it will lose its ability to thicken the gumbo to its final consistency. "You should add your okra towards the end of cooking, allowing it to steep and the okra slime to develop in the finished product," says Dickensauge.
7. Rushing the Timing
Cooking the gumbo for a good three to four hours on simmer is imperative. "The long cooking time adds time for flavors to develop and ensures a burst of flavor," says Biffar. Make sure to give it time to let everything mesh together, this is not a dish to be rushed!
Difference between Gumbo and Jambalaya
The most obvious differences between gumbo and jambalaya are their consistencies and their rice. Gumbo is soupy and served with a scoop of absorbent, medium-grain white rice. Jambalaya is a moist rice-based dish made with Louisiana-grown, long-grain rice.
What Is Gumbo?
A staple of southern Louisiana cuisine, gumbo is a dense soup loaded with meat, okra, and seasonings served over rice. Three traditional thickening agents create gumbo’s trademark consistency: okra, roux, or file powder (dried, crushed sassafras leaves).
What Is Jambalaya?
Jambalaya is a one-pot Louisiana rice dish inspired by Spanish paella. Chefs add their vegetables, meats, stock, and rice to a pot and simmer the mixture until the rice absorbs the liquid. Common meats for jambalaya include sausage, ham, chicken, and shellfish.
Difference between Cajun and Creole
Cajuns and Creoles are two distinct ethnic groups; together, they’ve shaped the culture and cuisine of Louisiana. Historians define Cajuns as the descendants of Acadian (French Canadian) immigrants. The term Creole describes a broad ethnic group encompassing peoples of European, African, Hispanic, and Caribbean descent.
Jambalaya and Gumbo FAQs
Below, we answer frequent questions that arise as chefs make gumbo and jambalaya:
Overview
Preparation and serving
Gumbo is cooked for a minimum of three hours, and often simmers all day. Meat (but not seafood) is often browned beforehand and removed from the heat. Okra and roux are cooked before other vegetables and seafood. Okra is removed from heat when it reaches the desired consistency, while roux remains in the pot. Seasoning vegetables are then added to the sauce. When these have turned to mush (more commonly called cooked down), the meat and okra are …
Etymology
The name of the dish comes most likely from Africa by way of Louisiana French. Scholars and chefs have offered various explanations for the etymology of the word "gumbo". The dish was likely named after one of its two main ingredients, okra or filé. In the Niger–Congo languages spoken by many enslaved people from West Africa, the vegetable okra was known as ki ngombo or quingombo; the word is akin to the Umbundu ochinggômbo and the Tshiluba chinggômbô "okra". I…
Variations
Gumbo is a heavily seasoned stew that combines several varieties of meat or seafood with a sauce or gravy. Any combination of meat or seafood can be used. Meat-based gumbo may consist of chicken, duck, squirrel, or rabbit, with oysters occasionally added. Seafood-based gumbo generally has shrimp, crab meat, and sometimes oysters. Andouille sausage is often added to both meat and seafoo…
History
Gumbo is often used as a metaphor for the mix of cultures that exist in southern Louisiana. The dish combines the culinary practices of Africans, Native Americans, French, and Spanish. In the 18th and 19th centuries, people from these cultures lived within a fairly small area with minimal mobility. In this environment, cultures could influence each other and meld to create new traditions and cuisine.
Social aspects
In Cajun Foodways, C. Paige Gutierrez describes gumbo as "an economical dish" useful for "feed[ing] a large number of people with a small amount of meat or seafood". Nobles concurs that "one of the hallmarks of gumbo is that, with a big enough pot, it can easily be doubled or tripled and is always a good choice to feed a crowd". With this dish, cooks can use up small portions of various ingredients that were not sufficient for an individual meal. The dish is an efficient way t…
See also
• Cuisine of New Orleans
• List of regional dishes of the United States
• List of stews
Bibliography
• Bienvenue, Marcelle; Brasseaux, Carl A.; Brasseaux, Ryan A. (2005). Stir the Pot: The History of Cajun Cuisine. Hippocrene Books. ISBN 978-0-7818-1120-0.
• Brasseaux, Carl A. (1987). The Founding of New Acadia. Louisiana State University Press. ISBN 978-0-8071-2099-6.
• Davidson, Alan; Jaine, Tom, eds. (2006). The Oxford Companion to Food. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-280681-9.