Gumbo Time!!!

[nolasmoker]

It was raining the other day so my chicken smoke was out of the question. Instead I decided to make some chicken and andoulle gumbo! It came out great as always. Here's some pictures and a quick step by step.


What you need is...
creole seasoning
salt and pepper
1 fryer chicken
1 pound of andoulle sausage
1 large yellow onion (minced)
1 bell pepper (minced)
4 celery ribs (minced)
3 cloves of garlic
4 quarts of chicken stock (or broth)
2 bay leaves
1 or so teaspoon dried thyme
1 bunch of green onions
and 2 beers (or beverages of your choice) for yourself during the roux making process


I started out by cutting up the chicken
Sprinkled some creole seasoning (any is good) and some salt and pepper.


Next I seared the chicken 2 minutes on each side and pulled it out of the pot.


After that I started the roux. 1 cup of oil and 1 cup of flour
If you haven't made one Its pretty simple but you have to be there to stir during the whole process.


I usually use a prop, like this cinnamon, to judge a good color for the roux


It takes, give or take your drinking speed, 2 beers to get the desired "chocolate" (or cinnamon) color roux.


Next caramelize your onions in the roux for about 10 minutes. It makes the roux a more "dark chocolate" color and adds a great sweetness to your gumbo.


The next thing is add your bell pepper, celery, and garlic. Just cook till translucent. About 5 minutes (p.s. notice how much darker the roux is after you caramelize the onions...)

(sorry for the loss of pictures but my battery died and i had to do a quick recharge)

Next add the chicken stock, chicken, andoulle sausage, creole seasoning, salt and pepper to taste and bring that to a boil.


add the 2 bayleafs and dried thyme, reduce to low, cover, and cook for 2 1/2 hours.

Finally (sorry again for no pics... but i didn't re-charge my camera again)
uncover and sprinkle with gumbo file' and green onions and its ready to serve!

Gumbo is usually served with rice, but I like to eat mine with potato salad!

Hope this inspires you to cook some gumbo for your next party! When I make gumbo again I'll take pictures to fill in the blanks.

Like they say here in New Orleans "laissez les bon temps roulez" or "let the good times roll!
-Justin

 

[meat hunter]

That looks really good. Thanks for the recipe. So many good recipes on this site, I don't think I could ever make them all.

 

[alx]

Man it looked like a great start.I hate them bateeries.

Thanks for sharing.I bet the finished product was just tasty

 

[mballi3011]

They should make gumbo and jamabalaya or just cajun a room here for the love of theses recipes. Thank for your recipe and a great tuturial and that bites about the batteries. Yours sounds and looks really good too. Thanks again and keep the recipes coming. I love cajun and cann't keep going back as often as I want the food.

 

[rivet]

Great tutorial, Smoker, and real nice looking roux, too~ 'Course you are a professional at that! Too bad your bat's crapped out would have loved to see a plated pic with potatoe salad.....that's a first I've never heard of, but sounds pretty good actually.

Thanks for sharing and keep the posts up- you got good food

 

[beer-b-q]

Looks Good, remember to keep that camera charged on smoke day...

 

[got14u]

I luv cajun food...thanks

 

[gnubee]

You will have to forgive me I am from way up here in Canada and am not sure what is cajun and what is creole or is there even a difference? I am also not familiar with lots of the terms associated with either of those cusines. We do get a decent andoulle sausage though.

I have Emerilles Bamm spice recipe for the cajun spices. But you really confused me with the term "uncover and sprinkle with gumbo file' and green onions and its ready to serve!"

What is gumbo file??

Okay so I am past that cause I googled File gumbo and now know what it is which brings me to the problem of I have now way of getting any locally. I guess I will have to find a mail order source for it.

 

[nolasmoker]

Thats a great question about "what is cajun and what is creole". And yes... there is a difference.

Acadians or "Cajuns" are actually descendent's of French Canadians who settled in the Maritime Provinces (Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, etc...) until the British rule had to leave their "new home". Le Grand Derangement or "the Great Disturbance" which led many "Acadians" to Louisiana, is what we know today as "cajun".

Creoles were descendants of Spanish and French that settled in the "New World". The word "creole" comes from the Spanish term "criollo...a child born in the colony". Creoles more commonly settled around urban areas as the Cajuns settled more in the deep bayou.

Hopefully that answers your question

as for gumbo file'... here's a website to order some
http://www.cajunsupermarket.com/adva...o+file&x=0&y=0

 

[chisoxjim]

gumbo file is powdered sasafrass leaves

pretty good sounding gumbo there, I would have liked to see some finished pics.

 

[tn_bbq]

I commented the other day to my wife that it was getting time to make a pot of gumbo. I spent 20+ years down in Louisiana and got used to having gumbo.

 

[salbaje gato]

i just made a big ol pot of gumbo a couple of days ago. my recipe was about the same as yours ,with the addition of dungeness crab and a boatload of shrimp. it,s my favorite.

 

[eman]

Regarding food differences In cajun / creole.
There are a few differences but none of them are life changing.
Cajun food is more down home , usually made w/ a roux and / or the trinity. The cajuns used anything locally grown , seafood , fish ,wild game.
With basic seasonings of peppers and salt.

Creole food is more provencial and uses more fresh herbs and alot of it is tomatoe based vs roux based. It mimics french and itallian cooking

There has been a blending of the two styles Since the world has discovered south louisiana cusiene.

I see lots of cooks that add tomatoes or tomatoe sauce to gumbo and jambalaya. which neither of these dishes use tomatoe.

In most so called cajun resturants out side of south louisiana They just lump together anything they cook and call it cajun.

If you have never been to louisiana and enjoyed our food and hospitality
Please come on down and pass a good time with us and enjoy some world class food.

If there is a so called cajun resturant in your area ask if the owner / chef
is from louisiana ? Or was trained in La.
If not please don't judge our food by what you are served .

Cajun / Creole food is not just spicy hot!!!
Just because someone adds cayanne doesn't make it cajun.!


Very few dishes that i cook are pepper hot, But they are very tasty.

 

[nolasmoker]

I did the same thing (with the dungeness crab and shrimp) when I lived in the Northwest for a block party. It was a big hit. Next time I go up there to visit (my wife grew up around the Seattle area) I might throw in some geoduck at the end along with the dungeness crab and shrimp (what????... Northwest gumbo??? only a coonass could think of that)

 

[alx]

Nicely said....GUMBO is an african word for Okra!!!!

 

[mnduckhunter]

looks good.

made one with duck a few weeks ago.

 

[meateater]

Just dug out my favorite gumbo and jambalaya pot. It's time for cold weather food.

 

[badfrog]

Spent some time in Slidell and got over to New Orleans whenever I could. Got a real taste for the food. I could eat a big ol' bowl of your Gumbo right now!!
By the way, the Gumbo file' for anyone not familiar is pronounced "fee-lay"- adds a great finishing flavor and also acts as a thickener; don't add too much!!!

 

[cruizer]

Great post Justin. Lived on bayou Lafourche for about three years. Back when we could drill off shore. Man I miss that food. Tons of mud bugs and shrimp. Still try to mimic the food I had all those years ago but something still seems to elude my recipes from the Chaberts kitchen on the bayou. Oh and those sweet Cajun Queens man oh man!!!