re: Gumbo question

quote:

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Could it be that it was not truly smoked and just injected with artificial smoke flavoring before finishing it.

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I really don't know. It was sort of sour flavor. I didn't like it at all. I don't recall it tasting heavily smoked, but this was some years ago. I expected to love it since I love the place.

Maybe they changed the recipe since then. I recall it wasn't very brown.

I use the Richard and Rima Collins recipe in the N.O. Cookbook. That's become my go to. I used 2/3 cajun hot sausage I buy from Farm Fresh Meats in Robertsdale, AL and 1/3 andouille - that's 3#. I brown the sausage first to extract the peppered fat from the sausage. I buy a plain whole rotisserie chicken cooked from Publix. I pick the meat then simmer the carcass to make stock. I saute the trinity in the sausage fat and set aside. Do the roux first, add the trinity and whatever else, then add the stock and simmer for about 15 minutes. Then I add the chicken and sausage and simmer for about 15 more. Then I let it stand and let the flavors meld. Always make it in the morning if serving it that night. And frequently I put it up in the freezer in quart sized containers.