Something about your gumbo that others may not care for

Is there anything you may do with gumbo basics that others may not??

I have gotten into the habit of really rendering the sausage down a lot in the oven. It's not burned, but pretty dried out. At some point in the past, my kids really liked it and I've just kept it that way ever since. Also, because I'm in Alabama and can't always keep really good andouille in the freezer, I end up using Savoy's or some other mass supply brand and this seems to intensify the flavor some.

Okra, but only in Shrimp and okra gumbo.

Too much chicken breast.

I de-bone the chicken.

Someone once suggested I put potato salad in my gumbo. Then I had a bowl of runny, lukewarm potato mush.

Potato salad always on the side and never in the gumbo!

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I always put thyme and bay leaf in mine.

I smoke chicken thighs then remove the skin and bones then roast the bones and vegetables and make a stock with the skins included. Between that, the andouille, sausage, and smoked chicken its too smokey for some.

Granted nobody ever complained of that but if they only have one bowl I assume that's why.

Something that made a noticeable change in the last pot I made was that I let it simmer for 2-3 hours before serving. The change was noticeable in that the meat was fall apart tender---even the sausage seemed to be very tender.

We put boiled eggs in ours.... that's usually a conversation starter at least.

I put whole eggs because I like boiled eggs.