Louisiana Gumbo Roux Food

GUMBO BASE (AKA ROUX)

Steps:

• Melt Butter in a heavy bottomed skillet over medium to medium high heat.
• Slowly sprinkle in the flour a little at a time, stirring constantly.
• Continue to stir constantly.
• Do not walk away!
• If you burn it even the tiniest bit, it is unusable.
• You will notice the flour beginning to brown.
• The darker the flour, the darker the gravy.
• For gumbo, when the roux reaches a deep dark chocolate brown color it is done.
• At that point you would add your seasonings, such as onion, garlic, bell pepper and celery.
• You can make this ahead of time and keep tightly covered in the frige or freezer.

LOUISIANA GUMBO

Steps:

• In a large (I mean large) stockpot boil chicken (completely covered by 2 inches of water), chopped okra, celery, sage, bouillon, oregano, black pepper until chicken is done. Remove chicken and set aside to cool, leave the stock in the pot. When cool debone the chicken and shred the meat. Set aside for now.
• Crumble sausage and fry in a skillet. Remove sausage and set aside. Reserve 1/2 cup of the drippings. Add flour and make a very dark roux (dark brown). Add the sausage and roux to the chicken broth and let simmer 10 minutes.
• Chop bell peppers and cayennes at this time. Add to pot and let simmer 10 minutes.
• Add shrimp, clam juice, crawfish tails to the pot and let simmer 15 minutes.
• Add the chicken and gumbo file to the pot and bring to a boil.
• I like to let this gumbo rest for a few hours and then reheat it before serving. Serve over rice with crackers and Louisiana hot sauce.
• This gumbo only gets better the next day. It freezes well to make a quick simple meal anytime.

LOUISIANA GUMBO ROUX

Steps:

• Mix all purpose flour and cooking oil to a peanut butter consistency.
• Spread about 3/4" thick in a baking dish.
• Bake at 350 until dark brown. (Be careful not to burn it! If you do, throw it out. It will be bitter).
• When done, add roux to 3 quarts boiling water. (Approx. 2 tablespoons roux to 1 quart of water).
• Add all remaining ingredients and your roux is complete!
• Double or triple the recipe if desired. Roux can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator or freezer for weeks.

LOUISIANA CREOLE GUMBO RECIPE

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients. Bring beef and chicken to room temperature before beginning the recipe.
• Make the stock. To a large sauce pan add chicken broth, shrimp shells, and outer crab shells (if using), cover, and set over medium-low heat. When it comes to a boil, adjust the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Simmer covered for 20 minutes and keep on low until ready for use.
• Make the roux. Add oil to a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat and sprinkle in flour while whisking. Continue whisking until it turns a milk chocolate color, 16 to 18 minutes. Don't walk away during this step.
• When the roux is ready, add the Trinity (the onion, celery, and bell pepper), garlic, and Creole seasoning. Sauté until onions are translucent, 6 to 8 minutes.
• Strain the chicken-seafood stock. Discard the seafood shells.
• Deglaze the gumbo pot with with half of the stock. Add the can of whole tomatoes, crushing each by hand over the pot, plus its liquid.
• Add Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, thyme, and bay leaf. Bring it to a boil and reduce it to a simmer.
• Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a cast iron pan over medium-high heat. Sear stew beef, in batches if needed, and move directly into the gumbo pot when done.
• In the same cast iron pan, sear the seasoned chicken thighs, skin-side down first, until golden on both sides, about 10 minutes total, moving them to the gumbo pot when done.
• In the same cast iron pan, add the okra to the rendered chicken fat, and season with salt and pepper and/or more Creole seasoning.
• Sauté okra until verdant and the viscous texture subsides, about 8 minutes. (This is known as "roping.") Add okra to the gumbo pot.
• Add remaining chicken-seafood stock to cover the ingredients. If the ingredients are not covered by the stock, add water.
• Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for 30-45 minutes, giving a good stir and taste every 15 minutes. Season with more Creole seasoning, salt, hot sauce, Worchestershire sauce, black pepper as needed for your taste.
• Remove thyme stems and bay leaf. Gently remove chicken thighs from the gumbo pot to a cutting board. Remove bones and skin, cut into rough chunks and add the meat back into the gumbo pot. If the thighs have fallen apart, just remove the bones (the same number of thighs you added) and the skins you can easily find.
• On a cutting board, crack cooked and cleaned blue crabs in half. Then, with a mallet or the back of the blade of a chefs knife, gently crack both joints of the claws. (see RECIPE VARIATION with lump crab meat below)
• Add crab and shrimp to the gumbo pot, cover, and simmer for 6 to 8 minutes.
• Prepare a serving over cooked white rice, making sure each serving gets at least half of a crab. Garnish with scallions and hot sauce(s) for diners to spice to their taste.

BIG DADDY'S LOUISIANA GUMBO

Steps:

• Cut all chicken pieces in half except for the legs. Season to taste with garlic powder, seasoning salt and dust with 1/2 cup of flour.
• reserving remaining flour for making the roux. Heat butter and 1/4 cup lard in a large stock pot or dutch oven.
• Add chicken to the pot a few pieces at a time and cook until browned , about 10 minute each side.
• Remove from pan and set aside.
• Before starting the roux put your chicken stock into a pan and start to heat it up, you will want it warm to hot before putting it in the recipe.
• (The Roux).
• Add remaining lard to pan (see notes) and heat to smoking (about 5 minute or so), stirring with wire whisk constantly.
• to scrape up brown bits in the bottom of the pan. Carefully whisk in remaining flour and continue to cook and stir.
• over medium heat until mixture becomes brick red color in nature, about 20 minutes. Be careful to not let the mixture cook too fast or.
• let spatter on skin (southern napalm) as it is extremely hot and scorches easily.
• (The Hard Part is almost Over).
• Reduce heat to low, stir in onion, celery and green pepper, garlic, sausage, peppers, oregano, thyme, parsley and salt.
• Cook for 5 minutes or so until the veggies are soft but not brown.
• Gradually whisk in hot stock a few cups at a time until all the stock is in the pot.
• Return the chicken to the pan and bring the mixture to a boil over high heat.
• Reduce the mixture to medium or medium high and simmer covered for about 40 to 45 minutes.
• Add shrimp and simmer 5 minutes longer.
• Serve over hot cooked rice and if desired minced parsley and file powder.
• Put out a bottle of hot sauce for those who like a little more heat.
• Notes.
• 1) You can substitute any cooking oil for the lard in browning the chicken and in making the roux.
• Just remember in making the roux it is equal parts of flour to oil or lard.
• 2) You need to be patient in making the roux, if you burn it at all, just throw it away and begin again. I find if the roux is getting too hot remove the pan from the heat for a short period of time but always remember to keep stirring, that point can't be stressed enough.
• Creole cooks have been known to cook their roux for and hour or more depending on the consistency and the color of the roux that they wanted. For extra rich color and flavor cook and stir the roux
• over medium low heat for 45 minutes to an hour but keep stirring.
• 3) This is a big pot, lots of room , if you like more shrimp add more
• I have added split crab claws to the gumbo at the same time the shrimp is added.
• Enjoy and.
• Laissez Les Bon Temps Roulez.

VEGETARIAN LOUISIANA GUMBO

Steps:

• To make Roux: In medium-sized, heavy-gauge saucepan, heat oil and garlic over medium heat, about 1 minute. Avoid browning garlic. Whisk in flour and increase heat to medium-high. Whisk continuously, and when paste begins to darken, add broth and Worcestershire sauce. Continue to whisk as roux thickens, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
• To make Gumbo: Spray 5-quart saucepan with nonstick cooking spray or wipe down with olive oil. Heat saucepan over medium-high heat and add garlic, onion, and pepper. Sauté 3 minutes, and add okra. Cook 5 minutes, and add vegetarian links and seitan. Cook mixture 8 minutes, stirring often. Add sherry.
• Add ¾ cup broth to pan. Place tomatoes in food processor, and pulse to chop coarsely. Add tomatoes to broth. Whisk remaining ¼ cup broth into roux, and stir mixture into gumbo. Add thyme, coriander, and hot pepper sauce. Reduce heat to low. Cook for 10 minutes. Remove from heat, and serve.