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Started By
Message
Tell me everything I did wrong with my seafood gumbo (stock & roux quetions)
Posted on 10/6/14 at 10:55 am
Posted on 10/6/14 at 10:55 am
It tastes pretty good but I really wanted it to turn out darker. Here are a few things I need help on:
For stock, I used 2lbs of shrimp (no heads unfortunately) and you can see in the background the amount of shrimp I peeled for it. I heated up a little oil, 'sweated' the shells for a couple minutes then dumped in 3 1/2 quarts of water and simmered/stirred for roughly 30 minutes.
NOTE I did not season the stock or add any carrots or anything else. Too little seafood? What else should I have added?
Second, bought some duck fat for the roux. It really developed nicely (or so I thought). I thought it was pretty dark when I added the veggies and was hoping that would translate into the final product.
The wife didn't chop up the veggies as finely as I would have liked and we used a RED pepper for a little extra color instead of green.
Finished product..meh color. I wanted a darker finish.
I am new to making gumbos from scratch so I'm not remotely offended if you tell me I screwed this all up.
TIA
For stock, I used 2lbs of shrimp (no heads unfortunately) and you can see in the background the amount of shrimp I peeled for it. I heated up a little oil, 'sweated' the shells for a couple minutes then dumped in 3 1/2 quarts of water and simmered/stirred for roughly 30 minutes.
NOTE I did not season the stock or add any carrots or anything else. Too little seafood? What else should I have added?
Second, bought some duck fat for the roux. It really developed nicely (or so I thought). I thought it was pretty dark when I added the veggies and was hoping that would translate into the final product.
The wife didn't chop up the veggies as finely as I would have liked and we used a RED pepper for a little extra color instead of green.
Finished product..meh color. I wanted a darker finish.
I am new to making gumbos from scratch so I'm not remotely offended if you tell me I screwed this all up.
TIA
10
Posted on 10/6/14 at 10:57 am to CAD703X
quote:
used a RED pepper for a little extra color instead of green
Couple of tomatoes could have helped
Posted on 10/6/14 at 10:59 am to CAD703X
maybe not enough roux. It seems pretty dark in the pan, so my suspicion is that there was not of it and it was diluted too much with stock.
Posted on 10/6/14 at 11:01 am to MeridianDog
that makes sense..i used 1 cup oil & 1 cup flour to the 3 1/2 quarts stock.
Posted on 10/6/14 at 11:04 am to MeridianDog
With that few shrimp, I would have added the leftover onion, celery and pepper ends from my trinity and probably throw in an extra onion, pepper and celery to the stock. Simmer the stock for a couple of hours and it will get darker. Your roux looks plenty dark.
Posted on 10/6/14 at 11:08 am to CAD703X
Oldest trick in the book.... Add some of this, coullion:
Posted on 10/6/14 at 11:08 am to CAD703X
quote:
1 cup oil & 1 cup flour to the 3 1/2 quarts stock.
That's a lot of stock for that amount of roux. For one cup of flour, I am usually closer to 2 quarts of stock.
When making your stock, you can also toss in your onion/pepper/celery tops, some whole bay or thyme leaves, etc for a little extra depth of flavor.
Posted on 10/6/14 at 11:09 am to CAD703X
Your roux looks fine - I;m not sure if the duck fat influenced the flavor but with seafood gumbo you need to let the seafood flavor be predominant. Looks like too much liquid to me. When I make shrimp stock I put just enough water in to cover the shells and simmer for ~30 minutes. You can always add water to dilute it. Still IWEI and tell you it was delicious.
Posted on 10/6/14 at 11:16 am to CAD703X
Just a few thoughts.
Maybe a little less water for your stock, and cook a little longer. I would slow boil for about an hour. I only add peppercorns. Shrimp heads would have helped.
I think you need a little more roux. I like the consistency and the color of your roux.
As far as stock goes, I do this gradually. To the roux (after reducing the heat), I add onions, bell pepper, celery and okra first, stirring constantly. If your roux is still nuclear hot, this wont take long. Then I add garlic. After about a minute of constant stirring, I add in about 2 cups of stock. I then add my seasonings and simmer for a few minutes. Then, I add stock to get the consistency I want. Keep on simmering. After at least 20 minutes, a taste test for seasonings. When I'm happy, shrimp goes in.
I don't thing your far off. A little more roux, less stock, and simmer those veggies down a bit more.
If you want more seafood flavor, you should go with more seafood in your stock. Maybe some crap bits, fish bones, etc.
Maybe a little less water for your stock, and cook a little longer. I would slow boil for about an hour. I only add peppercorns. Shrimp heads would have helped.
I think you need a little more roux. I like the consistency and the color of your roux.
As far as stock goes, I do this gradually. To the roux (after reducing the heat), I add onions, bell pepper, celery and okra first, stirring constantly. If your roux is still nuclear hot, this wont take long. Then I add garlic. After about a minute of constant stirring, I add in about 2 cups of stock. I then add my seasonings and simmer for a few minutes. Then, I add stock to get the consistency I want. Keep on simmering. After at least 20 minutes, a taste test for seasonings. When I'm happy, shrimp goes in.
I don't thing your far off. A little more roux, less stock, and simmer those veggies down a bit more.
If you want more seafood flavor, you should go with more seafood in your stock. Maybe some crap bits, fish bones, etc.
Posted on 10/6/14 at 11:17 am to Trout Bandit
thanks everyone..it looks like i definitely should had a higher roux:stock ratio. i have 2 cups of duck fat left so i might try a sausage & chicken gumbo and increase the roux.
i don't want to make it 'too thick' but definitely prefer darker.
and count..not sure if you're serious or fricking with me.
eta forgot to mention i put in 2 cups of crab claw meat as well as shrimp.
This post was edited on 10/6/14 at 11:19 am
Posted on 10/6/14 at 11:18 am to Trout Bandit
Looks fine to me, IWEI. I go 1 part flour to 1 part oil for every gallon. I like my seafood gumbo more on the soupy side.
A trick you can do is make a roux in one pot and your gumbo in another that way you can brown those onions really well. Then throw in the in the roux, stock, shrimp....
A trick you can do is make a roux in one pot and your gumbo in another that way you can brown those onions really well. Then throw in the in the roux, stock, shrimp....
Posted on 10/6/14 at 11:20 am to CAD703X
quote:Oh no, I was serious as a duck fat heart attack.
and count..not sure if you're serious or fricking with me.
Kitchen Bouquet is like Boudreax's Butt Paste... cures a whole lotta wrong!
Posted on 10/6/14 at 11:33 am to CAD703X
This is what I did before the LSU-Auburn game.
I made a shrimp stock this weekend with some shells, 2 1/2 quarts of water, a roughly chopped whole red onion skin and all, half a head of garlic rough chopped, a couple of stalks of celery, a couple of sweet bell peppers and a bay leaf.
Came out like this.
Here's my roux after adding onions, bell peppers, celery and garlic. Think it was a cup of oil and a cup of flour. I browned some andouille from Bergerons in Port Allen in the pan before making the roux, although the meat didn't give up much fat.
Here's the finished andouille and shrimp gumbo. My wife got some nice shrimp from the farmer's market in downtown BR. I must say, it turned out really good.
I made a shrimp stock this weekend with some shells, 2 1/2 quarts of water, a roughly chopped whole red onion skin and all, half a head of garlic rough chopped, a couple of stalks of celery, a couple of sweet bell peppers and a bay leaf.
Came out like this.
Here's my roux after adding onions, bell peppers, celery and garlic. Think it was a cup of oil and a cup of flour. I browned some andouille from Bergerons in Port Allen in the pan before making the roux, although the meat didn't give up much fat.
Here's the finished andouille and shrimp gumbo. My wife got some nice shrimp from the farmer's market in downtown BR. I must say, it turned out really good.
Posted on 10/6/14 at 11:34 am to Count Chocula
quote:
Boudreax's Butt Paste... cures a whole lotta wrong!
motherfricker stole that formula from dr talbot in monroe. i know because when i was a young'un mike napoli at the town & country pharmacy would whip it up from scratch.
but i digress..
Posted on 10/6/14 at 11:36 am to CAD703X
Why were your shrimp red before being cooked?
This post was edited on 10/6/14 at 11:38 am
Posted on 10/6/14 at 11:39 am to CHEDBALLZ
quote:
Why were your shrimp red before being cooked?
bad lighting i guess. those are raw. i only put them in for maybe 2-3 minutes at the end.
Posted on 10/6/14 at 11:43 am to CAD703X
You need more shrimp shells than you had to make a decent stock. Will your seafood folks save shells for you? If so, call them and ask them to saved the shells and just toss them in a bag in their freezer.
You could add gumbo crabs to the stock if you can find them, but don't buy the Chinese ones. I prefer not to use crab shells. Makes it too sweet for my taste.
There are a few other "base" options to shore up your stock. You could order or buy, if you can find one, a good shrimp base, but watch the salt if you do that. You can also try the "more than gourmet" brand of seafood stock. No salt, so no worries. I think it works better for things with crawfish, but it's better than a weak shrimp stock. Reduce the stock until you get the flavor you want. You don't need onions, carrots and the like in the shrimp stock for this. You can also roast your shells a bit before making your stock for a deeper flavor.
Some folks use dried shrimp to shore up a shrimp gumbo. I have never used them, but someone might come along and tell you how that works. They are stinky little things.
You have too much stock to roux as others have said. Try 1/2 cup to 1/2 cup flour and oil to 7-10 cups liquid, depending on the texture you want.
A few red peppers, very few, is okay, but they're taste sweeter to me than the green. Veggies definitely too chunky for my taste.
Go darker on your roux whatever way you choose to make it. I don't deal with the microwave for roux, so I have no idea how that works. Couldn't make a roux big enough for my use in the microwave. I'd be microwaving all day long.
If you have some leftovers, make another roux and add it and see what you think. May as well play around with what you have. Just take the shrimp out and add them back right before serving, so they don't overcook.
For chicken and sausage gumbo, use Paul Prudhomme's recipe as a guide for your measurements.
LINK
You could add gumbo crabs to the stock if you can find them, but don't buy the Chinese ones. I prefer not to use crab shells. Makes it too sweet for my taste.
There are a few other "base" options to shore up your stock. You could order or buy, if you can find one, a good shrimp base, but watch the salt if you do that. You can also try the "more than gourmet" brand of seafood stock. No salt, so no worries. I think it works better for things with crawfish, but it's better than a weak shrimp stock. Reduce the stock until you get the flavor you want. You don't need onions, carrots and the like in the shrimp stock for this. You can also roast your shells a bit before making your stock for a deeper flavor.
Some folks use dried shrimp to shore up a shrimp gumbo. I have never used them, but someone might come along and tell you how that works. They are stinky little things.
You have too much stock to roux as others have said. Try 1/2 cup to 1/2 cup flour and oil to 7-10 cups liquid, depending on the texture you want.
A few red peppers, very few, is okay, but they're taste sweeter to me than the green. Veggies definitely too chunky for my taste.
Go darker on your roux whatever way you choose to make it. I don't deal with the microwave for roux, so I have no idea how that works. Couldn't make a roux big enough for my use in the microwave. I'd be microwaving all day long.
If you have some leftovers, make another roux and add it and see what you think. May as well play around with what you have. Just take the shrimp out and add them back right before serving, so they don't overcook.
For chicken and sausage gumbo, use Paul Prudhomme's recipe as a guide for your measurements.
LINK
Posted on 10/6/14 at 12:05 pm to Gris Gris
I think the only roux I measured was the first one I ever made. I just pour oil in the 14" cast iron skillet about half way up and while it's getting warm start scooping flour until it gets where I want it. I normally make about two quarts of roux per batch. About 30-45 minutes depending on how hot I get it, which I go up and down on the flame and it is black as the ace of spades. I probably use close to a quart in my 8 quart pot.
Friend of mine eats the dried shrimp by the handful. Ripped open a bag in my truck and they went everywhere. I'm thinking I'll have to sell the truck since it still stinks 3 months later.
Better than Bouillion has a fish base, a clam base and a lobster base. I have only used the lobster base and it works well as an added supplement. You can also add a good rich chicken stock to supplement your shrimp stock. It mixes in well and you can't tell it's chicken stock.
I've see kitchen bouquet used but I've never owned a bottle. Liquid Smoke either.
Friend of mine eats the dried shrimp by the handful. Ripped open a bag in my truck and they went everywhere. I'm thinking I'll have to sell the truck since it still stinks 3 months later.
Better than Bouillion has a fish base, a clam base and a lobster base. I have only used the lobster base and it works well as an added supplement. You can also add a good rich chicken stock to supplement your shrimp stock. It mixes in well and you can't tell it's chicken stock.
I've see kitchen bouquet used but I've never owned a bottle. Liquid Smoke either.
Posted on 10/6/14 at 12:10 pm to CAD703X
quote:
It tastes pretty good but I really wanted it to turn out darker
If the taste is to your liking I wouldn't worry about the color.
Posted on 10/6/14 at 12:14 pm to CAD703X
Look Good CAD.
Just a little trick I have been doing since I first starting cooking gumbo many years ago.
I always make one-two cups more roux than I need and take a couple of big spoon full out before I add the veggies. That way if after adding the stock I think its to thin I can add a little more roux.
After all these years I never add that extra roux any more, but just like last Saturday I pulled a coffee cup of roux out and its still sitting on may stove today.
Just a little trick I have been doing since I first starting cooking gumbo many years ago.
I always make one-two cups more roux than I need and take a couple of big spoon full out before I add the veggies. That way if after adding the stock I think its to thin I can add a little more roux.
After all these years I never add that extra roux any more, but just like last Saturday I pulled a coffee cup of roux out and its still sitting on may stove today.
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