Gumbo Tips and Tricks

Having a good stock makes the most difference IMO. Thanksgiving is coming around and it a great opportunity to make a stock. Take your turkey carcass and put it in a sheet pan under the broiler until it is brown / toasted. Put it in a pot full of water and boil / simmer for an hour or longer, lid on. I'll add some leftover vegetables (roughly cut) that I may not have used for Thanksgiving to the pot as well...just remove them when transferring the stock to tuperrware.

You can do the same as above with a chicken carcass or other chicken parts that have bones in them. I use turkey necks sometimes too.

Lately, I've been buying chicken leg quarters, removing the skin, seasoning them with creole seasoning, and smoking them at about 225 for about and hour or slightly longer. I add them to my gumbo whole and remove the meat from the bones after a little while when it is tender.

I typically use pork fat for my roux. Gives it a great flavor.

quote:

---

Make your own stock

---

This right here is huge also. It takes extra time but you can even take all of the vegetables from the stock and puree them and throw them in the gumbo.

quote:

---

I use all chicken thighs - no breast and cook in the same pot.

---

Very similar to this, but I smoke my chicken thighs. Adds a depth of flavor.

I like to throw a smoked pork hock into my stock. you welcome

My last gumbo, I did something a little different and used a spice blend from a couple different cookbooks.


From Isaac Toups cookbook

Changes. Substituted 16 oz of a home brewed German alt (amber beer) for 2 cups of the chicken stock.

From Donald Link’s fried chicken and andouille gumbo:

Spice blend (added about a minute or 2 after adding the trinity to the roux.)

1 tbsp salt
1.5 tbsp black pepper
1 tsp cayenne
1.5 tsp chili powder
1 tsp white pepper
1 tsp paprika
1.5 tsp file powder

Along with some fresh parsley and green onions.

In addition, I use mostly bone in chicken thighs that I brown after I brown the sausage. I then top up the oil after browning meat and make the roux. I also use about 2 tbsp of Worcestershire in the gumbo.

Best gumbo I’ve ever made. The spice blend really set it off.

quote:

---

tomato sauce instead of tomatoes. I don't like my gumbo chunky

---

dont forget the peanut butter

quote:

---

I make sure to heat up my stock and add small amounts of roux at a time.

---

i literally have a special ladle just for this purpose. if it or any of my 'gumbo doodads' are missing when i'm making it i get mad as a hornet.