Nothing, and I do mean absolutely nothing, cuts through the damp cold of Louisiana winter like gumbo.
A good gumbo reflects the improvisational spirit of the people of Louisiana, while at the same time embodies and celebrates the riches Louisiana’s marshes and swamps conceal in their dark, mysterious depths.
Gumbo isn’t a formula, however, and you’ll never know the magnitude of gumbo until you can understand each ingredient and then create a pot from sight, without the use of a written recipe.
If you follow some simple rules you can paint any picture your heart desires, as long as you keep your masterpiece open to the opinions of others.
Control the seasoning
Andouille, kielbasa, tasso, smoked fish and all the other seasoned meats and fish we throw in gumbo impart incredible flavor, but you must be careful not to overseason or oversalt your gumbo. Don’t add any salt or pepper until all ingredients are in and have simmered well. Offer your table guests salt, pepper, seasoning blends, pepper sauce and filé powder so they can adjust the seasoning according to their own taste.
The miracle of roux
Roux is nothing more than caramelized flour particles. When mixed with liquid and exposed to heat, the flour particles expand, thus thickening the gumbo.
My culinary mentor, Chef Terrell Brunet of Mandeville, called dry roux (heated in an oven sans oil) a Yankee roux. But don’t think of it as a slur— dry roux works very well. For a lower-fat version try brown dry roux in the oven. Once it and the gumbo liquid are thoroughly cooled, incorporate the roux into your gumbo using the slurry method. First mix a little of the gumbo liquid with the dry roux to make a paste, then whisk that slurry into the rest of the gumbo and bring to a simmer.
Behold the broth
There really is no place for water in gumbo. Instead, create a flavorful broth. Even common, store-bought chicken broth adds more flavor than water. One of my favorite easy broths is to take leftover shrimp shells and simmer them with boxed chicken broth. The shrimp shells act as a clarifier (clearing out any negative flavors), and as a flavoring, giving the broth a fresh shrimp essence.
Tame the slime beast
I’m a blasphemer for saying it, but I’m not a big fan of okra because it can make gumbo stringy. But it is a Louisiana staple, and its mucilaginous molecular carbohydrate structure can work wonders in gumbo. If you insist on okra gumbo, don’t simmer it raw and sliced directly in the gumbo. Instead, either sauté the okra in a few tablespoons of oil before you add it in, or stir 2 teaspoons of common kitchen vinegar (or Tabasco) into your raw sliced okra. The heat or acid break down the structure and reduce the slime.
Onions, time and heat
Don’t just sweat your onions before adding your liquid. Sweating the onions merely releases sugar water, and if your sautéing stops there, you’re missing out on the incredible flavor boost your gumbo will get by caramelizing them. Trust me.
Learn to chill
There are a few things in life that are better the second day: vacations, lasagna and gumbo. By letting your cooked gumbo chill overnight you allow a magical exchange between the liquid and the solids. In the chilling process, the tiny surface pores of the meat and vegetables will close, trapping tiny amounts of liquid inside. The liquid, meanwhile, will marinate the meat and veggies in the gumbo.
Then, when heated, as the trapped liquid escapes, unleashing the gumbo’s pent-up power, not to mention gushing compliments for the chef that are sure to follow.
