re: Making my first gumbo today

I've been making roux for over 40 years, and it doesn't take me an hour or 45 minutes. The first time I saw K-Paul make a roux, I learned to vary the heat to speed up the process, lowering the fire as the roux began to reach the final stages. While I don't use Chef Paul's exact method, I adapted some of his use of high heat to mine, specifically the early stages. Only once did I burn a roux, back in 1989. I was cooking at a girlfriend's apartment on an electric stove that I had never used before and paying more attention to her than the roux. Learned my lesson with no problems since then.

I do 1.5 cups oil to 2.5 cups (or more) flour for a gumbo with 2 gallons of stock.

This ratio allows for a roux that cooks much faster on the stove. I’m done in about 15 minutes.

Use a recipe from the cookbook on the food board. Don’t use a recipe off the Internet from some Yankee. Keep it simple. The more you try to add or make it “interesting“, the worse it will be.

quote:

---

if you want to stand over a pot needlessly for an hour and 50/50 chance of burning flour, have at it.

---

I make my roux on a higher heat. Get a dark roux in 10-15 minutes. Just have to be prepared to stir like hell.

If I dont have a homemade stock, I use Better than Bouillon to make the necessary stock. Thats another option for the OP.

People who use water instead of stock are missing out big time.