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My Mama's Gumbo

Started by metalspinner, February 02, 2010, 02:23:37 PM

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metalspinner

Mmmm, mmm.

I started a big pot of gumbo this morning.

Start by finely dicing and cooking down 3lbs of okra.  This needs to cook down and stirred a looong time.  45 minutes at least.  If you undercook the okra, your gumbo will be slimy.





While the okra is cooking down, finely chop four large onions, a couple of bell peppers, 6 stalks of celery, and garlic.  Then saute it until clear.





Once all the veggies are cooked down, combine them and add a bit of flour to darken things up a bit...









Your elbow should be a little sore at this point. ;)



After a few minutes of browning, add 8oz of tomato sauce and a can of water.





Cook this a bit then add the dry spices - salt, black pepper, red pepper, file, and bay leaves.





Mix it in good, then add a few minced shrimp and 6 quarts of water.  After this comes together, add 2lbs lump crab meat...





Then slowly add a couple pounds of fresh peeled shrimp and cook down for a few hours...





If I had some small whole crabs, they would get thrown in, too.  Some oysters would be good, but mom doesn't like them in her gumbo. :-\

It's all coming together now.   ;D ;D





I do what the little voices in my wife's head tell me to do.

Norm

Mmmm Mmmm is right. :)

I haven't had a thing to eat today and now my stomach is growling. I've always wanted to see how a good gumbo is made, thank you!

Don K

Looks delicious Chris. I knew your last name wasn't Legaux for nothing. ;D

Don
Lucky to own a WM LT40HDD35, blessed to have a wife that encouraged me to buy it.     Now that\'s true love!
Massey Ferguson 1547 FWD with FEL  06 GMC Sierra 2500HD 4X4 Dozer Retriever Husky 359 20\" Bar  Man, life is getting good!

Burlkraft

Looks awesome Chris  digin_2 digin_2 digin_2 digin_2 digin_2

I'll bet in a couple a days I could eat some of that and keep it down  :D  :D
Why not just 1 pain free day?

WDH

When I come to visit you, I would like...........well, you know what.........anyway, nice looking gumbo  :D.
Woodmizer LT40HDD35, John Deere 2155, Kubota M5-111, Kubota L2501, Nyle L53 Dehumidification Kiln, and a passion for all things with leafs, twigs, and bark.  hamsleyhardwood.com

RynSmith

What is the point of the 'few minced shrimp'  ???

metalspinner

Rynsmith,
It helps to get the shrimp flavor dispersed throughout all the ingredients.  Because the shrimp are added last, that gives the minced shrimp a head start on flavoring the gumbo. I'm careful to not over-rinse the whole shrimp, too.

When the boys came home from school that afternoon, they were excited Gumbo was on the dinner menu.  But I had to disappoint them with the news that we had to wait for the Superbowl to eat it.  I did let them have a little sampling of it, though. :)
I do what the little voices in my wife's head tell me to do.

LeeB

Chris, try boiling the shrimp shells for about 30 minutes and use tat for your water. Kinda like a shrimp broth. Crab shells in the water goes well also.
'98 LT40HDD/Lombardini, Case 580L, Cat D4C, JD 3032 tractor, JD 5410 tractor, Husky 346, 372 and 562XP's. Stihl MS180 and MS361, 1998 and 2006 3/4 Ton 5.9 Cummins 4x4's, 1989 Dodge D100 w/ 318, and a 1966 Chevy C60 w/ dump bed.

metalspinner

Ooo,
That's a good tip.  Mom will be surprised I came up with it. ;) :D
I do what the little voices in my wife's head tell me to do.

LeeB

Good for other seafood soups and such also.
'98 LT40HDD/Lombardini, Case 580L, Cat D4C, JD 3032 tractor, JD 5410 tractor, Husky 346, 372 and 562XP's. Stihl MS180 and MS361, 1998 and 2006 3/4 Ton 5.9 Cummins 4x4's, 1989 Dodge D100 w/ 318, and a 1966 Chevy C60 w/ dump bed.

Norm

That's what I do too.

I take the shells after peeling and put them with some onion, carrots, celery and a bay leaf to simmer for a stock. I'm guessing to be true to creole cooking you'd use a bell pepper instead of the carrot. :)

LeeB

I use both, but then I ain't a coonass, just a misplaced Texan.
'98 LT40HDD/Lombardini, Case 580L, Cat D4C, JD 3032 tractor, JD 5410 tractor, Husky 346, 372 and 562XP's. Stihl MS180 and MS361, 1998 and 2006 3/4 Ton 5.9 Cummins 4x4's, 1989 Dodge D100 w/ 318, and a 1966 Chevy C60 w/ dump bed.

ARKANSAWYER


  When I got moved back up here to the hills I could not find file' power in the stores.  So I had to start making my own.  Now I have to supply sister-in-laws becasue they like mine better.
  We make our roux in a skillet by it'self and I did not see any andouille sausage in that mix.  Good thing about gumbo is it gets better with time.
  Now I am hungry, guess time to go home.
ARKANSAWYER

Dana

Grass-fed beef farmer, part time sawyer

Magicman

Quote from: Dana on February 05, 2010, 06:44:52 AM
So what is file powder?

Gumbo file' is powdered Sassafras bark.  It flavors plus thickens the gumbo.  A little goes a long way and is generally added last or even to the bowl of gumbo.

Cajuns call gumbo "File' Gumbo".
Knothole Sawmill, LLC     '98 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic   WM Million BF Club Member   WM Pro Sawyer Network

It's Weird being the Same Age as Old People

Never allow your "need" to make money to exceed your "desire" to provide quality service.....The Magicman

Norm

It's actually the leaves not the bark. :)

Magicman

Quote from: Norm on February 05, 2010, 08:42:02 AM
It's actually the leaves not the bark. :)


Ooops.... :-[ :-[ :-[   You're exactly right of course.  Guess I was thinking about eating and not thinking..... :D
Knothole Sawmill, LLC     '98 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic   WM Million BF Club Member   WM Pro Sawyer Network

It's Weird being the Same Age as Old People

Never allow your "need" to make money to exceed your "desire" to provide quality service.....The Magicman

metalspinner

Arky,
I'm not too big of a fan of sausage in seafood gumbo.  Besides, I'm starting a big pot of red beans today and I have only 2lbs of good sausage left.  So it will be going into the beans. ;)

The roux is a topic of hot debate in my family.  Any time mom and her brothers get together for dinner, they start analyzing and critiquing each others dishes.  From spagetti sauce to gumbos or ettouffe'.  It gets pretty hot at dinner sometimes.  And I'm not talking about the cayenne pepper.   smiley_argue01


Dana,
You might be surprised to find Gumbo file' in your grocery store in the spice rack.  Zatarain's is the brand you are likely to find.  It has a red cap and a yellow label.  A fresh seafood market could have it, too.
I do what the little voices in my wife's head tell me to do.

ARKANSAWYER


  I thought Jeff was working on a "SMELL" program so we could smell over the internet.  Metalspinners pots a boiling would have smelled pretty good.

Pick Sassy leaves eary in the spring and put them in the dehydrater till dry and then crush them to a fine power.  Put in small canning jam jars and put in oven at 150 degrees for 30 min then take out so it will seal.  Best if added the last half hour of cooking to thicken the pot and flavor.  Ma always said that if you have to baptise the gumbo to add a bit more file' powder as well.

  If'n I just had so much sasuage and had to choose between redbeans and seafood gumbo then the beans would win.

Roux is sticky subject and a matter of good gumbo or not.  The way I was brought up it was made with real butter and plain flour in a cast iron skillet seasoned with bacon fat and took an hour to make and never was more then a very light tan color.
ARKANSAWYER

Magicman

Roux is made with "love"........ :)
Knothole Sawmill, LLC     '98 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic   WM Million BF Club Member   WM Pro Sawyer Network

It's Weird being the Same Age as Old People

Never allow your "need" to make money to exceed your "desire" to provide quality service.....The Magicman

LOGDOG

I'm as full as a tick right now but that gumbo has me thinking. I really shouldn't read "food threads" at nine o'clock at night. It gets the wheels turnin'.  musteat_1 food6

LOGDOG

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