Authentic Cajun Gumbo

Just one of several ways we do gumbo here in Cajun country, south Louisiana. Now you might say, "where's the okra?" Well, around here okra is popular but optional. With or without it, it's the real deal and very good. A little info aside from what's in the video is in order. It's an 8 quart soup pot, so at 2/3rds - 3/4ths full (any more and it might boil over), this "recipe" yields about 5 - 6 quarts of gumbo, give or take. It's enough to feed about 6 people or three Cajuns. Hee Hee! Also, Gumbo is all about experimenting and adjusting to your own taste. Like all good Cajun food, it's generously seasoned, but there's no law that says it has to be flaming hot. Also, to clear up another misconception, gumbo is NOT just throwing everything in the kitchen into the pot either. There's variations on authentic Cajun gumbo. Some have seafood, this one doesn't. Some have wild game, like rabbit. ALL of them start with a roux, which is simply a paste of flour browned in cooking oil, usually in a skillet and stirred CONSTANTLY (I can't over stress that) to prevent burning. It's usually between peanut butter to chocolate color depending on personal taste. The store bought kind I used is exactly the same thing and works just fine. I heated the jar just SLIGHTLY, to soften the roux, making it easier to dissolve. The brand doesn't really matter as long as it's a "Certified Cajun" product of Louisiana. If you can't find it where you live, making it from scratch is not difficult, just requires a lot of stirring. I used smoked pork in this one, also called "tasso" here in south Louisiana. If you can't find it locally, just try your favorite smoked ham cut in cubes. If you don't have Tony Chachere's seasoning (pronounced sash-er-ee's), A good "season all" should do well. If you want these and other authentic Cajun foods shipped to you, check out Cajun Grocer (dot) com. Lots of good stuff there. Anyway, hope you like it. Please rate it and leave comments.

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• Reel Louisiana
• Cajun Music
• Wayne Toups
• Zydecajun
• Zydeco music. Gumbo
• Cajun cuisine
• cooking
• food
• soup
• Cajun country
• Acadiana
• Louisiana

[Stingray8854]

@txdurk Just what makes you think it's fake roux? It's browned flour and oil that happens to come in a jar. I also got the rice at the store. Does that make it fake rice? Of course not. I've made roux LOTS of times. If you'd read the video description, you'd see I explained that, and how the AUTHENTIC store bought kind works just fine. I had it on hand, so I used it. It's made right here in south Louisiana Cajun country where I grew up, by Cajuns just like me, and there's nothing fake about it.

[Stingray8854]

@lostindiancamp Actually, the potatoes and eggs are in a separate pot, for the potato salad. Sometimes I'll put a few hard boiled eggs in the gumbo, but most of them are for the potato salad on the side. The potatoes don't go into the gumbo. Now, if I'm cooking something like a pot roast and burn the meat a little, cutting a potato and putting it in with a little water to cook down on lower heat kills the "burnt" taste. It also works if I "over-do" the seasoning.

[Stingray8854]

@Pizztoff Also, while the store-bought roux in the jar works just fine, a home made roux is simple to make too. Just takes a lot of stirring. There's a GREAT video called "Yum Yum Yum (1990)" here on YouTube. Cajun to the bone! I know the man in the video, he and my dad go way back. About half way through the video, he makes a roux in a skillet, and it's just a paste of flour and oil stirred and browned to about chocolate color. WELL worth a look.

[Stingray8854]

@Pizztoff Thanks! I'm sure we're on the same page, but just to be clear, it comes from the store already "cooked", ready to use, just kinda "stiff" if it's been in the fridge. I just warmed it a bit in the microwave to soften it. Just remember to STIR CONSTANTLY until it's COMPLETELY dissolved in the water. Just a little piece can stick to the pot and burn. Good luck! I'm sure you'll do a great job and blow them away. Tonight will be gumbo weather for sure. Please let me know how it turns out.

[Stingray8854]

@mexicoxtremo10 Thank you! It's really not difficult to make either. Maybe you should try it some day.

[m14monroe]

great video! I live in Southern MS and love gumbo. I usually make it with shrimp/crab/chicken and okra with tomato paste and a homemade roux. I'll have to try that instant roux sometime. there's really a million ways to make gumbo!

[Stingray8854]

@m14monroe Thanks for the comeback. If you try the store bought roux, you might want to soften it up a bit by putting the jar in hot water, or microwaving it just a little, like maybe 30 seconds at a time, just until it's easy to stir. I prefer to use homemade roux because it stirs easily and isn't likely to stick. However, we had the jar on hand and with it softened up a little, it works just as well. Again, thanks!

[txdurk]

Fake roux? Come on.

[lostindiancamp]

I was with you until you put the potato and boiled egg in the gumbo. Lost me after that. LOL

[Pizztoff]

@Stingray8854

Awesome! I will be checking it out as soon as I'm done posting hehe! Thanks again for all the tips, and will be updating you on the turn out this weekend =D

[Pizztoff]

TYTYTY for explaining how to properly cook the roux in the jar! I want to try and make my 1st ever gumbo for my husband and his family, but no one seems to want to show me how to make this...and being from Arizona (just recently moving to LA) I don't have a Gumbo recipe yet so I was a bit confused on the whole roux thing, but thanks to you I'm clear sailing now and I'm sure gonna try to blow them away with your recipe! Thank you so much! <3 =D