Gumbo

Roux

This is one of those mysteries that has gotten severely overblown. There are a lot of things that probably work. Here's what I do.

I take some form of fat or oil (usually bacon drippings) and flour, in roughly 50/50 proportions. Heat the fat in a cast iron pot, big enough to hold whatever the roux is a base for (in this case, gumbo). Dribble the flour in. Stir it in a bit with a wooden spoon (watch it if you use plastic, because it can get kinda hot). Wait. If you really want to, stir more. It doesn't matter much. If it's too chunky, add more fat. If it's too greasy, add more flour. Wait until it is the color you want. Some people say copper penny. I say go a bit darker. More flavor. If it turns black, that's bad. Toss it and start over (we're talking heat, flour and fat. Not expensive). And turn down the heat if you burnt a batch already. It should start to smell vaguely nutty. For this gumbo, keep the amount of flour in the 3 Tbs range.

Once you've got this down, you can do all kinds of things, but notably, gravy. Impress your friends. Give it a whirl. You'll gain ten pounds and those store packets will forever mystify you.

The Rest of It

Chop (large pieces):

Onion
2 Bell Peppers
Several Stalks Celery

Slice:

Okra
1/2 Pound or so Andouille, Chorizo, Linguica Sausage

Dice (finely):

2 Cloves Garlic

Fry in oil in a separate pan:

Chicken parts

Once the roux is to your liking, saute the garlic and onion. As they start to soften, add the chicken parts. If you've got small chicken cubes, you can skipping cooking them in another pan. Add the sausage.

Pour:

1-2 Tsp, up to 1 Tbsp Gravy Master or Kitchen Bouquet

When that's been cooking a little while and is browning nicely, add the rest of the vegetables.

Cover with:

2 Cups Chicken Stock
Water

If you don't have any chicken stock, you can just use water, but it won't be as good.

Season with:

Hot Sauce
Worcestershire Sauce
Fresh Ground Pepper
Fresh Parsley

Simmer for an hour or so. The longer you let it go, the more the flavors merge and the more the meat will come off the bone. Also, the thicker it will get (from the okra) and the limper the vegetables will get. Eventually, it will turn into one big flavorful pot of goo, which is kinda slimy, but not all bad. You don't want to let it get this way; this is for when you reheat it as leftovers.

Instead of the chicken, or the sausage, or both, you can use:

Oysters
Mussels
Steamer Clams
Cooked Crabmeat

Or a lot of other things, judging by the recipes I've looked at. I don't use crab anymore because I'm allergic to it. Put the seafood in fifteen minutes or so before serving. No point in overcooking it the first time around. The shelled stuff (mussels, clams) can go in in the shell. Pick out the ones that don't open up.

You can serve this over rice in a bowl, or in a bowl with cornbread or bread on the side. Sprinkle with file for additional thickening and a smoky flavor.

Created January 12, 2002
Updated January 30, 2002