re: Cooked my first gumbo tonight.

quote:

---

Homemade stock

---

I usually boil and debone my chicken ahead of time and save the broth. You need to strain it first though and then let it cool and skim off some of the fat. Always use stock of some kind (chicken, seafood, vegetable, etc.) and avoid adding water. It creates a far more flavorful gumbo.

Good for you. I love trying new dishes I've never done before. You'll be a pro after you get a few under your belt. Shake off the anti-tomato people...cook what you like. I myself wouldn't put a tomato in my gumbo, but then again it's "my" gumbo.

Give your own roux a shot. It's not as hard as you might think it is. Just make sure you have your veggies prepped ahead of time and I always have a couple of beers around in case it sneaks up on me. Once it starts getting to the darkness below you are walking a fine line and veggies and some beer (any liquid really) can help you stop from burning it. (this isn't super dark by any means, just saying this is when you can burn it easily so watch it).

Roux is so easy to make. I don't get why people are scared to make it. It's flour and oil, low to medium heat, and a lot of stirring....orrrrr you can even bake it which is also easy.