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Message
re: Help me improve my gumbo
Posted on 10/17/19 at 4:32 pm to 24wire
Posted on 10/17/19 at 4:32 pm to 24wire
quote:
The acid comments seem like they’d work as I always feel my food lacks acid, but damn tossing in vinegar or lemon juice to a gumbo feels so weird. I’ll try a very little bit and see what I think.
No lemon juice. I always add white vinegar to anything that cooks/braises in liquid for an hour or more. You're rendering a lot of fat while slow cooking. Acid and fat are perfect to balance each other out.
Vinegar is essential to my gumbo, gravy, chili, etc. Just pour a little in at a time and taste, taste, taste. Add more until it's right.
3
Posted on 10/17/19 at 4:39 pm to TH03
Yeas, agree, I struggle with how much to add? Thoughts?
Posted on 10/17/19 at 4:48 pm to NOLATiger71
Vinegar? I never measure it. I just pour a splash or so, stir it around, and taste. Repeat until it's the way I like it.
Posted on 10/17/19 at 6:16 pm to TH03
All you people downvoting our vinegar comments have never tried it. We are not telling you to pickle your gumbo. Just a good splash of it will bring a pop that makes the other flavors stand out.
Posted on 10/17/19 at 7:38 pm to Tornado Alley
quote:
Last time I made a roux I burned it.
Turn the heat down and stir. Just takes a little longer. If mine is getting too hot I slide it off the fire for a minute or so while stirring then move back but I don’t keep my burner on inferno anyway. I’d rather take a few minutes longer than start over.
Posted on 10/17/19 at 8:05 pm to Jibbajabba
quote:
All you people downvoting our vinegar comments have never tried it. We are not telling you to pickle your gumbo. Just a good splash of it will bring a pop that makes the other flavors stand out.
I get my acid from the can of diced tomatoes.
Posted on 10/17/19 at 8:39 pm to Mr Sausage
quote:
The right sausage also makes a lot of difference.
quote:
Mr Sausage
Although, I'm 100% with you. The right sausage is crucial.
Posted on 10/17/19 at 9:17 pm to Tornado Alley
quote:
Why not just smoke the whole hen and then pick the meat off of it for the gumbo and use the carcass for the stock?
Deboning and cutting the meat into sections gives better surface area for the smoke. Plus you can cook the stock while the meat is smoking.
Posted on 10/17/19 at 9:23 pm to Jibbajabba
quote:
All you people downvoting our vinegar comments have never tried it. We are not telling you to pickle your gumbo. Just a good splash of it will bring a pop that makes the other flavors stand out.
People are either downvoting me on principle or because "mawmaw did it this way and it's da best gumbo I eva did have."
Anyone who knows anything about cooking will know acid is one of the most important tools in your kitchen.
Posted on 10/17/19 at 10:17 pm to BlackCoffeeKid
Brown your sausage and put it on for the last 20 minutes max. Cooking the sausage too long drains all of the fat and hardens it.
Posted on 10/17/19 at 10:19 pm to TH03
I’ve tried lemon but it lightens the color. So I switched to a half small can of tomato paste. It dissolved nicely and adds a richness that has elevated my gumbo.
Posted on 10/17/19 at 10:30 pm to Jibbajabba
quote:
All you people downvoting our vinegar comments have never tried it. We are not telling you to pickle your gumbo. Just a good splash of it will bring a pop that makes the other flavors stand out.
Ya no one has ever put hot sauce in their gumbo
I don’t want someone splashing white vinegar or frickin lemon in my gumbo
Posted on 10/17/19 at 10:40 pm to FootballNostradamus
quote:
-Finally, I like my gumbo as thick as (pardon my French) duck shite. I basically want it to be the thickness of melted ice cream. How do I do this?
More roux, cook longer, and use file. File is usually overlooked but I think it puts good gumbo over the top.
Posted on 10/18/19 at 12:01 am to TH03
I have added a little cider vinegar to my gumbo on occasion. I don’t do tomatoes ever, but they would add some acid.
Posted on 10/18/19 at 5:49 am to GynoSandberg
quote:
Ya no one has ever put hot sauce in their gumbo
Lol
Posted on 10/18/19 at 6:05 am to GynoSandberg
quote:
Ya no one has ever put hot sauce in their gumbo
You're essentially putting a dash of flavored vinegar in it. I'm saying I put enough in to where it balances and brightens the flavors.
quote:
I don’t want someone splashing white vinegar or frickin lemon in my gumbo
I'm not advocating for lemon juice, but why not white vinegar? What's your specific reasoning based on culinary reasons and not "that's not the way we make gumbo"?
There always seems to be a lack of basic cooking knowledge here when it comes to Cajun cooking. There's nothing wrong with tweaking the recipe you've always used if it makes it better, but people always get emotional/offended by the notion.
This post was edited on 10/18/19 at 7:01 am
Posted on 10/18/19 at 6:44 am to Centinel
The biggest difference maker a getting a good smoked sausage. I suggest Teets in Ville Platte if you are out of state. They ship and it’s fairly reasonable if you buy in quantity and freeze. Also a smoked turkey makes a great gumbo. You don’t want you gumbo real thick. That’s more of a stew.
Posted on 10/18/19 at 8:29 am to KyrieElaison
Anyone ever made a roux using this quick approach where you get the oil smoking hot, toss in the roux, and then stir like crazy? I watched someone do it on YouTube, and it took only like 5 minutes. Idk what sort of black magic it was, but it looked incredible. I wanna try, but it sounds terrifying.
Posted on 10/18/19 at 8:44 am to FootballNostradamus
I do.
I open all the windows and doors, crank it on high heat, and stir like crazy. Roux is done in 5-10 minutes, and the house looks like the inside of cheech and chong's van.
My wife hates it because the house smells like roux for a few days. I always ask her why that's a bad thing.
I open all the windows and doors, crank it on high heat, and stir like crazy. Roux is done in 5-10 minutes, and the house looks like the inside of cheech and chong's van.
My wife hates it because the house smells like roux for a few days. I always ask her why that's a bad thing.
Posted on 10/18/19 at 8:49 am to KyrieElaison
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