re: Gumbo (again) questions

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if you've only ever used old, dried up leaves, you might try a few very fresh ones next time

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I've heard that the eucalyptus notes are MUCH more pronounced in the fresh leaves and can really overpower a dish. I've never used fresh so I have no clue if this is correct. I was always told that dried is better than fresh when it comes to bay leaves.

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is the creole/red/tomato-ey gumbo typically associated more with seafood?

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You may be thinking of courtbullion not seafood gumbo.

Dont have time to go thru all my thoughts here.
I will just say once again.


If all gumbo's tasted the same the world would be a boring place.


That being said.. if its red, it aint gumbo.

So you agree

Re eucalyptus notes in bay: I don't find the odors similar at all. Bay is a gentle, faintly camphorous note....and bay is a key component in seafood boil seasoning mixtures.

Perhaps you're remembering he so called California bay, which is a separate species and can indeed be overwhelming. The true bay laurel is very nice when fresh. Bay leaf Panna cotta, bay leaf ice cream, it's a hip ingredient these days in all sorts of odd spots. Somewhere (maybe Molly Stevens All about Braising?) I have a recipe for stovetop braised potatoes with garlic and two big handfuls of bay. It is great.

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3. Oven you is nearly impossible to burn. Whisk oil and flour together in a cast iron or heavy pot and put it in the oven. Nothing to it. I do not make flour only roux nor do I brown flour and then mix oil into it. I don't know why anyone would do that.

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I've always stirred my roux. I'm also sorta open-minded, and willing to try something different. I'm used to dropping my veggies in at the moment my roux reaches the color I want. Please explain how you use this oven roux. Do you sauté your veggies, and stock then spoon in the roux?

I make a very large roux because I make a lot of gumbo at one time. I never make just a small batch.

I put it in the oven and do the other chopping etc... while it cooks. I stir it every 30 minutes or so to evenly distribute. A large roux takes a long time. Small ones do not.

When it reaches the desired color, I take it out and throw in my veggies. It's plenty hot, believe me. After those cook down in it, I add the roux to the stock in the big pots. Same way I do it when I make it on the stovetop except I don't have to stand around stirring it forever. Even the fast version of making a roux is slower when you're making a large quantity, so for me, it saves a lot of time.

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8. did stadium rat ever build a gumbo roux spreadsheet ala the jamabalya calculator?

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Actually, I did. But I didn't get the feeling a calculator was as useful for gumbo. I may revisit it if the JC plays out. For now, it is incomplete.

Download Gumbo Calculator Beta

Note the roux inputs on the left.

I still don't understand what is hard with making a traditional roux. Takes maybe 10 minutes. I cook my gumbo all in the same pot. Meaning, i make my roux, then add the vegetables with the roux, then add the stock. For a seafood gumbo i use 3/4 cup oil to about 1 - 1 1/4 cup flour. May up it to 1 cup oil to 1.5 flower next time, and i used 6-8 cups of stock.

FWIW, i made a seafood gumbo this weekend. It was fantastic. Instead of making my own stock, like i normally do, i bought the kitchen basics seafood stock. There really isn't a difference. Same with chicken stock, vs homemade. I've found that they taste the same.

But with the seafood gumbo used 1.5 lbs. shrimp, 1 lb. white crabmeat,and about a dozen oysters and some andouille. It came out very well.

Seafood gumbo is by far the easiest gumbo to make.

ETA: oh, and no tomatoes in gumbo, and i use bay leaf in all my gumbos, and some thyme.