re: Kitchen Bouqet to darken your roux

Drink another beer....

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I've never used to darken a roux. Roux isn't about the color, but about the flavor.
I personally agree, but gumbo snobs would be ashamed. (As far as their roux not being dark enough)

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I make gumbo and I make it a lot and I serve it to my friends and anyone that stops by. Christmas Eve I make a large seafood gumbo and open wines and have an open house. I make the gumbo whatever color i feel like, dark, light, peanut butter color, blonde, no roux, whatever and not once have I had a bowl come back less than empty. Every gumbo I make is different from the last but they are good. Snobs stay home and enjoy the coal in your stocking.

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i believe you. I would probably enjoy the hell out of your gumbos. Wouldnt work that way in the corporate world to the "professionals."

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Have you seen professional's cook gumbo? They are the worst offenders. There are maybe a dozen "chefs" that cook a decent gumbo. Maybe. I know as many people that cook gumbo without a roux as cook with one. And good gumbos.

Maybe it's the whole I'm not a coonass by nature thing but it seems like if you are only adding that to make the roux darker you could just turn down your lights and act like its dark. You do a roux for flavor, yes it is great as a thickener at lighter stages but if it is the color I like then most of the thickening power is gone.

If your roux didn't get dark enough oh well. Either you will like it better or you will make it darker next time. Half the fun of cooking is trying new things. Unless it's grandma's biscuits, don't mess with those.

If I'm way off base I apologize, I grew up redneck from the delta but my friends from SLA seem to think I somewhat know what I'm doing.

Wow.. Is this comparable to Kitchen Bouquet?

I’ve never used Kitchen Bouquet in my gumbos! But I’m curious to try Savoie’s Browning and Darkening liquid!??

I make chicken and andouille gumbo for a Christmas party for 30, I use the same recipe I have used for ages. If I am out of andouille I make a trip to Jacob's so I have the best flavor I can get. Everyone always likes it and there is never much left over.

This year I made the same gumbo, same color roux, I smoked the chickens as usual, it's a very flavorful, rich and fairly dark gumbo. A buddy of mine always comes over to help and we were discussing the Kitchen Bouquet controversy, I bet him the if I added one tablespoon of KB people would like the gumbo even more. He thought that was stupid and didn't think anyone would notice.

The rave reviews came in, this was the best gumbo ever, it was the darkest, richest and most flavorful I ever made. The gumbo didn't need it, but the darker it gets, to a point, the more people 'respect it'.

We eat with our eyes first, the darker color made it taste better. If you still doubt it, look at the popularity of red velvet cake, all of the food coloring doesn't improve the taste, but it sure affects the enjoyment.

Martini and Gris Gris are my heroes here. I do my roux in the oven (just like Gris Gris says - I didn't see a temperature listed by her, so I'll throw our 400 degrees F) and agree with Martini that variations in color mean little to me, and evidently anyone I ever loved enough to make my gumbo for.


Many times I have been accused of being overly critical about my rice and cold beer, but that is for another post.


And I have never used KB for gumbo roux - However, I will confess, I have used it for smothered round steak with mashed potatoes gravy. I have also added beef broth to that gravy.

I will say that I am extremely sensitive to any burnt taste in my gumbo roux, so I almost always stop my roux sooner than many here. I have left a bowl hardly touched before that others said was fine because to me it tasted burned.

Usually looks like this, which is not as dark as many push for.

Love an oven roux. It's a no fail method. I used to ask my dad "How long to get a dark roux like yours?" He said "About three beers." "Dad, I don't drink beer..."

And, yes, I sometimes add KB to C&S gumbo.

It's food coloring. If you don't cook a dark gumbo/jambalaya than man up and own that shite. Serve it like it is.

BTW anyone with half a brain can tell when a gumbo/jambalaya has been dyed.