My first attempt at Gumbo (w/ pics)

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pictures showed a lot more grease than there actually were.

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Disagree. It looks solid, especially for a first attempt at the dish.

Looks good for a first attempt. I would eat it.

Looks good for a first attempt. I'd ditch the tenders and do a whole hen plus thighs

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I'd ditch the tenders and do a whole hen plus thighs

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i added the tenders late enough that they were still really tender. but, i'll probably just do all thighs next time. they were so delicious.

Great job.

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It looks solid, especially for a first attempt at the dish.

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This. The OP's first attempt looks much better than mine. I was so scared of burning the roux that I wound up with a white gumbo.

looks good, IWEI

Very nice looking job for your first attempt!!! Mine is darker than that, but I also know that the camera doesn't always catch the color just right. Looks like it has just enough body to me and isn't runny in my opinion.

It doesn't look greasy or oily to me.

I would caution a bit on cooking raw chicken in the gumbo itself. If you notice on the stock, sometimes, you'll get that foamy stuff on top that you remove from a stock. Could happen with your gumbo if you cook too much raw directly in it. I cut the meats smaller. They're too large for my taste, but if you're the only one eating it and you take honker bites of food at once, it works for you.

I think you did a terrific job and if you enjoyed the flavor, then it was a home run for you.

BB, stop trying to make trouble with the rotisserie chicken business. I highly recommend Sam's chickens as long as you don't get their seasoning in the water. On occasion, I've gotten an off putting flavor from their chickens.

I also make smoked chicken and smoked turkey gumbo or turkey gumbo with roasted turkey quite often. Same thing as using a decent rotisserie chicken in my mind. And, I sometimes use grocery stocks/bases instead of water when I'm not making a stock from scratch, plus I make 5 gallons of gumbo at a time often and rarely do I have enough stock for that. I shore it up with a stock base or something of that nature. I'll usually roast the bones of whatever cooked meat I'm using or, at the very least, I simmer them not roasted in the liquid I'm using for the gumbo.

My rules for MY gumbo are:

I make my own roux and it's very dark.
I do not use frozen trinity.
No okra.
No tomatoes.
No bay, oregano or other strange seasonings. (Mine is packed with flavor and doesn't need it. And, I love the flavors of the dark roux with the veggies and the meats.)
I don't cook the file' IN the gumbo. I let folks add that themselves.
Always have extra green onions for garnishing.
Extra sausage/andouille because I like it that way.
No whole pieces of chicken and I cut the chicken and the sausage into bite size pieces so I don't look like a chipmunk or a squirrel storing acorns in my cheeks trying to eat a big old honker hunk of meat. And, I shouldn't have to "cut" meat in my bowl or worry with bones in my bowl. I like to have meat, rice and liquid on my gumbo spoon for each each perfect bite.

Again, those are MY rules. People has their own preferences.

That's pretty much it. If you like yours another way, geaux for it.

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That's a small spoon with chicken, andouille, rice and liquid. I assure you they were small, even if they look big.

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Now, that I look again at the spoon, I see you have the perfect bite! I think the chicken just looked large in the pic.

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i also have a ton of andouille in there because i like it more than chicken.

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Same here. I do love turkey, but when it comes to the chicken, I'd be happy with andouille gumbo with a little chicken.

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The only thing I don't really like is green onions. But, if I made one for a ton of people, I'd offer it with the file on the side.

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I have admitted to my green onion addiction on many occasions. I put a ton in the gumbo and then add fresh to the bowl. Definitely have some fresh chopped for the garnish when you make this again and serve your many new fans!

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As we were cooking it, my wife was saying how it would be the only time we make it. I guess there was a lot that goes into it. Once we were done and eating it, she was saying she's looking forward to making it again.

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It's so worth the effort when the result tastes good. Once you make it a few times, you'll get into a schedule of events so to speak and make enough to freeze. Many times, I prepare the chicken, andouille and veggies the day before and then I put it all together the next day. Sometimes, I even make the roux ahead of time. Easy to do with an oven roux especially. I just turn off the oven and leave it overnight. Heat it back up and then add the trinity and go from there. Lots of ways to do it and it goes faster when you get into a groove. Using smoked meats cuts time as well as you don't have to cook them. I'm so glad you finally made it. I know you were looking into it and it all paid off. I think this is the best first effort I've seen on this board. Tell the wife congrats also for her part!

And, once you get this down, take a look at Paul Prudhomme's recipe on Labelle Cuisine and make it with fried skinless chicken. Then, use the frying oil for the roux. That takes the flavor to a whole new level.