re: Boiled eggs in gumbo

My St. Landry side the family had eggs in the Gumbo

My Pointe Coupee side the family did not.

Never saw it growing up (Lafayette area). Moved away to Florida went back and my sister who now lives between Eunice and Mamou never makes a gumbo without them. My girls will not let me make a gumbo without throwing them in now. To me its ok but not necessary.

Not a fan of boiled in Gumbo. Turtle soup yes.

A fried egg with chicken gumbo over the top on the other hand.....

I think its more a praire cajun thing as well especially in a seafood gumbo. They didn't have/couldn't afford shrimp so they put eggs in it to stretch the pot sort of speak.

I know some Native Americans form Dulac who eat sweet peas made with a roux boiled eggs in it.

My wife adds them to mine when I finish cooking it. Her grandmother from Lawtell always did it so she boils, peels and drops in. I think it was a way to stretch it, but now we just do it for nostalgia I guess. Her grandmother made this dried shrimp and egg gumbo that was awesome, didn't matter if you had 20#s of 16-20s on ice she was going to use dried shrimp regardless.

I don't do it, but have a friend who does...He's originally from Eunice.

This is common for Acadiana folks. The boiled egg yellow thickens the gumbo and gives it a sweet flavor. It's very good.

Gumbo no, a courtboubillion yes peeled and sliced.

Well what you have to realize is everyone is saying "my grandma" did it or nostalgia. Well these grandmas or great grandmas of Cajun or Italian heritage were predominately Catholic and didn't have nor did they use birth control and they also grew up during a time (even if they were the kids) when you purposely had a lot of kids to work the farm or the boat or the store so they always had a lot of mouths to feed and eggs were easier to come by than say an extra chicken or extra shrimp or that pork you were saving so it was a natural filler and a way to stretch whatever it was be it red gravy, gumbos, soups, stews etc...

I grew up in the middle of Baton Rouge and all the Heberts, Thibodauxs and Bougeois I knew added it to gumbos and stews and all the Ragusas, Notos, Saias and Picasios added it to red gravy and especially on Sunday when all the family came to grandmas to eat.

And I'll tell you this. This Irish Protestant mick was hanging out in the Catholic church on Sunday with either his coon arse or dago friends and eating gumbo or red gravy and I was honored to get an egg and a meatball or a chicken leg.