Gumbo, California-style

I was afraid that "California Style" meant it had tofu, alfalfa sprouts and an emissions restriction with an energy tax! :grin:
 
cpw said:
I'm a huge fan of the gumbo, but here's my problem, just as Landarc mentioned, the roux in a gumbo is not about thickening the stew, but more as a flavor component. So the question is, how do you make a flavorful roux, but also makes a thick stew? Do you throw in some corn starch? I find that the okra doesn't thicken it enough for my tastes.
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The okra and/or file are used as thickening agents. I use okra, but not file. That is just my personal preference. You could use corn starch, as it really doesn't have a flavor that would mess up your gumbo. Keep in mind, you are not really going for a "beef stew" thickness. Gumbo is closer to soup than stew.

BTW, landarc, good fresh okra is hard to find around me, but I have had good results with frozen okra. I doubt even a pure cajun would know I used frozen okra.

You should also make some tasso for your next gumbo. It is really easy to make, and I think it adds a great dimension to the flavor, especially in a seafood gumbo.

CD
 
landarc said:
CPW, the more I have read and heard, the more convinced I am that Gumbo is not thickened like a stew. It does not have a thick body. I have never been to the south though. My understanding is that it is neither soup nor stew.
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This is correct. As I mentioned, already, gumbo is closer to soup than stew. I lived in cajun country for six years, and your gumbo cook looks pretty authentic. Green bell peppers are more traditional, but reds aren't that much different -- not enough to matter, IMO.

When I lived in Port Arthur (Poat Awtha), where they sold boudin next to the hot dogs at 7-Elevens, I got my first taste of authentic cajun gumbo, and fell in love.

CD
 
That looks and sounds killer! Me thinks that chicken could stand on it's own as well.
 
One other thing about thickening.... I like to make a pot of gumbo on Sunday afternoons. Put pot in fridge overnight, and reheat and eat Monday evening. It's way better after it sits, thicker too.
 
I don't use cornstarch much for thickening stews, I would say that it would fine though.

I do need to make me some home made tasso, but, first, I need to move my cookers so I can use them. THAT project has taken forever for me to even get started on.

The chicken does stand on it's own. But, then, if you eat all the chicken there is none for the gumbo. Plus, I only cook the chicken to get color on it, not fully cooked. If you cook the chicken fully, the oil is altered from the long heating process.
 
landarc said:
I don't use cornstarch much for thickening stews, I would say that it would fine though.

I do need to make me some home made tasso, but, first, I need to move my cookers so I can use them. THAT project has taken forever for me to even get started on.

The chicken does stand on it's own. But, then, if you eat all the chicken there is none for the gumbo. Plus, I only cook the chicken to get color on it, not fully cooked. If you cook the chicken fully, the oil is altered from the long heating process.
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Yeah, I did my last gumbo with rotisserie chicken, but I pulled it early. It was not safely done for eating, but it didn't need to be, since I was going to cook it for hours in my gumbo.

I liked the very subtle flavor added by rotisserie cooking the bird, and I like to shred my chicken for gumbo, which you can't do with raw chicken.

Pulling your bird early assures that you start with really moist chicken. It is hard to add back moisture once you cook it out, IMO. When I make gumbo from fully cooked leftovers, it is still very tasty, but I think it is just a little bit better when you prepare your chicken to be cooked that second time in your gumbo, which for me, means undercooking it a little.

CD
 
Very nicely done. Could easily do with a bowl of that right now. Love the Basmati. Good choice! :thumb:
 
tish said:
Very nicely done. Could easily do with a bowl of that right now. Love the Basmati. Good choice! :thumb:
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I'm torn on that. I love a good, fluffy rice, on the al dente side. But, my cajun country experience is more like Asian sticky rice. It is starchy and clumpy. It is "stick to the ribs" kind of rice. It's not how I make my rice, but there is a kind of warm and fuzzy feeling I get when I eat gumbo on that sticky, starchy rice.

CD
 
Bob that justs looks delicious! I've never made gumbo but I sure do love to eat it. Don't think I've ever had before without okra but that would not hold me back from chowing down on that great looking bowl of food. Thanks!
 
That looks awesome! And love the descriptions for cooking the roux. I don't think I have ever taken mine far enough when making a gumbo and it has shown in what I have made. Good info in this thread. Thanks.
 
We were just talking about one of our trips to New Orleans last night and all the great food. Looks like a pot gumbo is on the menu tonight!
 
Not bad a bad looking Gumbo there! You made the right choice by passing on the okra. If you don't nail it just right, the okra will give it a "slimy" texture and ruin a good gumbo for sure. As a natural born "Coonass" I have eaten my share of gumbo over the years, I still don't see the big deal about the okra, I personally think it takes away from the flavor.

Cheater note: You can buy "Roux in a Jar" (order online for all you fellas not in the south) and use that, making a proper roux is an art form and a burnt one will stink up the entire house something serious
When I do chickens in the winter time, I cook an extra one, just for a gumbo! C'est Si Bon
 
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