Here is a thread I had saved from years ago when I had the same question, and several "Tried and True" recipes from people we rarely see anymore..... I sure miss them! I have made all the recipes listed and would recommend any of them, depending on what you can get and what your tastes are.

Alexa

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Hey all!
I am having a few friends over to watch football on Sunday and one of them requested Gumbo. I would love to accommodate his request, maybe with a chicken, shrimp combination. Can you help with a recipe or guidelines?

Also, I'm not sure I can get File here - is it absolutely necessary? And the okra will probably be frozen.

Should I just bag the whole idea and make Etouffee instead?

Any help greatly appreciated!

Thanks

Alexa

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Follow-Up Postings:

RE: I need a good Gumbo recipe
Posted by: riverrat1 (My Page) on Thu, Jan 12, 06 at 8:48

Alexa, A gumbo is one of those meals that I don't use a recipe when cooking. But I looked on Epicurious and found one that is similar to what I do when I cook a gumbo. I always use a smoked pork sausage and not kielbasa.
First you make a roux.

STOVE TOP ROUX FOR CREOLE GUMBO

1/2 c. high grade oil
1 c. flour

Put oil into thick iron pot over medium heat. When hot, stir in flour and continue to stir until a deep brown color, about 30 to 40 minutes.

We don't care for okra in our gumbos so I always omit it. Also I brown the chicken and sausage, deglaze the pan with water or chicken broth, and add all meat and juices to the pot of roux. Gives a great flavor!

Boil water or broth or a mixture of both in pot and then add roux. Let simmer 45 min. to 1 hour so roux is well dissolved.

CHICKEN, SAUSAGE, AND OKRA GUMBO
A low-fat sausage will work here, though it will not produce as flavorful a gumbo.

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 pounds smokes pork sausage or pork and beef sausage such as kielbasa, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
8 chicken thighs
8 chicken drumsticks
two 10-ounce boxes frozen whole okra, rinsed to separate okra and cut into 1/4-inch- thick rounds
2 large onions, chopped
3 celery ribs, chopped
8 cups chicken broth
8 cups water
1 cup thinly sliced scallion greens (about 1 bunch)
Accompaniment: Cajun-style White Rice
bottled hot sauce such as Tabasco

In a heavy skillet (preferably cast-iron) heat oil over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking and brown sausage in batches, without crowding, transferring to paper towels to drain. Pat chicken dry and season with salt and pepper. Brown chicken in fat remaining in skillet in batches, without crowding, transferring to paper towels to drain.
Pour off all but about 1 tablespoon fat from skillet and cook okra over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until golden. Add onions and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until celery is softened.

In a 9 1/2- to 10-quart heavy kettle bring broth and water to a boil. Stir in okra mixture and chicken and simmer, stirring occasionally, until chicken is cooked through and gumbo is thickened, about 30 minutes. Add sausage, scallions, and salt and pepper to taste and simmer, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes. Gumbo may be made 3 days ahead, cooled completely, uncovered, and chilled, cover.

Serve gumbo ladled over rice in large soup plates. Serve hot sauce on the side.

Makes about 20 cups, serving 10 to 12 as a main course.
Gourmet
January 1997

If I didn't explain something well I'll be happy to answer any questions you may have. Gumbo is one of those things that everyone does a little different. You can't mess it up!

I always serve a plain potatoe salad with gumbo.

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RE: I need a good Gumbo recipe
Posted by: mimi_n_oz (My Page) on Thu, Jan 12, 06 at 8:51

Alexa, I love gumbo! Here's my recipe if you'd like to try it. Sometimes I use chicken and sausage, chicken and shrimp, or make a seafood only with oysters, shrimp, crab and/or crawfish. I think the trick to good gumbo is getting a nice dark rue.
I don't care for file so I never use it. That's a matter I think of personal taste. Oh yeah, frozen okra is fine. That's all I use in winter when fresh is not available. Hope you enjoy!

Chicken and Shrimp Gumbo:
1/2 cup unsalted butter (or vegetable oil)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 yellow onions, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 pound okra, cut into 1/4-inch slices
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning (optional)
1 (15-ounce) can chopped tomatoes, drained
3 bay leaves
2 quarts Chicken stock
1 1/2 pounds peeled shrimp
1 chicken, cooked, deboned and diced
3 cups cooked long-grain white rice
Chopped flat-leaf parsley and green onions, for garnish
To make the gumbo, start with a roux base: Melt the butter (or add oil) over medium-low heat in a Dutch oven or other large, heavy pot. Just as the foam subsides, add the flour, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or whisk to prevent lumps - it may lock-up like cake frosting but just keep stirring through it. Cook the roux until it’s the color of chocolate. This should take about 20 or 30 minutes. If you get tiny black bits the rue has scorched. Start over since scorched rue will ruin the gumbo.
Add the onions, celery, bell pepper, garlic, and okra; season with salt, cayenne, and Old Bay. Mix in the tomatoes and bay leaves. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring now and then, until the vegetables are soft. Pour in the chicken stock and stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil, and then reduce the heat. Simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the gumbo is dark and thick. Toss in the shrimp and chicken, cook about another 15 minutes; adjust seasoning.
To serve: Ladle the gumbo into shallow bowls and pile some rice in the center. Sprinkle the parsley and green onions over the top. Pass the French bread and hot sauce at the table.

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RE: I need a good Gumbo recipe
Posted by: mqmoi (My Page) on Thu, Jan 12, 06 at 9:06

Alexa, I would add andouille or tasso ham (if you can) to your chicken shrimp combo.
I have made Emeril's Kick-Butt Gumbo recipe and have the recipe at home. It calls for beer and his essence rather than file. It's an extensive recipe but I know you would not be intimidated by it. The roux is the tricky part. Mine turned out the color of molasses. My husband has asked me to make it again several times, but I prefer to order it at a local restaurant that makes incredible gumbo. I have no desire to try to imitate it. It's sooo good. I like it served over mashed potatoes; dh likes it over rice; others like it w/potato salad.

Cindy (HanArt) likes Paul Prudhomme's recipe for Gumbo.

Riverrat, is the hot sauce the seasoning in your recipe?

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RE: I need a good Gumbo recipe
Posted by: riverrat1 (My Page) on Thu, Jan 12, 06 at 12:19

mq, I personally don't like hot sauce in my gumbo and prepare it without. I add ground red pepper and basic seasonings to the roux while the roux is simmering for the 45 minutes.
I copied and pasted that particular recipe off the Epicurious site since it was the closest thing I could find to my recipe. I think I probably need to write up my recipe the next time I make gumbo. It would make it alot easier for future post about gumbo. ;-)

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RE: I need a good Gumbo recipe
Posted by: mqmoi (My Page) on Thu, Jan 12, 06 at 12:50

Oh, good, Riverrat. Me either! Your additions, as well as sub for kielbasa, sound good and I'll bet your recipe is much better than that one. Personally, I prefer gumbo with one of the main components being a cured or smoked pork or ham.
Thanks!

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RE: I need a good Gumbo recipe
Posted by: publickman (My Page) on Thu, Jan 12, 06 at 13:33

I actually do use a recipe (that I developed) when making Gumbo because I found the proportions of ingredients to be critical, the same as I do when making Pad Thai. I've had bad gumbo, and so I know that it can be messed up.
Do try to find filé powder - I can't imagine that it would be difficult, and for me, it adds a distinctive flavor (as well as texture) that is essential. Some people make gumbo without okra (not me - I love okra!), but you could not omit both okra and filé IMO. I usually use fresh herbs when making it, but I have not found that to be critical. It is important to use the right oil - it must be a bland oil, such as grapeseed or canola - olive oil would add an unwanted flavor.

My gumbo has a somewhat more delicate flavor because it is solely seafood (which is what I was used to getting in Houston and Texas), but it would work with some chicken substituted for some of the seafood and some Andouille sausage. If I added spicy sauces, I would use milder peppers.

Frozen okra works fine in this recipe. Getting the roux dark enough is also critical, but if you burn it, it will be ruined. The last gumbo I had in a restaurant was made with a burned roux, and it was bad!

Lars

Here is a link that might be useful: Lars' Gumbo

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RE: I need a good Gumbo recipe
Posted by: caliloo (My Page) on Sat, Jan 14, 06 at 10:17

These all sound excellent!
Thanks for the help everyone. I am putting together my list to run to the store. They are predicting snow for tomorrow, so if the roads are too bad I may end up with a giant pot of gumbo and no one to eat it! LOL!

I'll let you know how it turns out.

Lars, thanks for the advice on the roux. I'll be sire to watch it carefully!

Alexa

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edited!
Posted by: caliloo (My Page) on Sat, Jan 14, 06 at 10:18

Lars, thanks for the advice on the roux. I'll be *sure* to watch it carefully!
Alexa

Thank you so much. Great recipes.

Riverrat's is good and Sol's is good. Making the roux well is the most important part.

Here is a link that might be useful: Sol's gumbo

Here's my favorite way to make gumbo:

Seafood Gumbo

Ingredients

1-1/2 pounds okra, sliced into 1/4” thick pieces (fresh or frozen)
2 tbsp canola oil
2 cups chopped celery
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 green bell pepper, finely chopped
4-5 large cloves of garlic, minced
2 tbsp grapeseed oil (or canola)
8 cups water
4 tsp vegetable soup base, or 1 tsp salt (to taste)
2 tbsp clam, lobster, or crab soup base, or to taste
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp canola oil
1/2 cup flour
3-4 bay leaves
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil (or 1 tbsp dried basil)
1-1/2 tsp chopped fresh thyme (or 1 tsp dried thyme)
4 tsp chopped fresh oregano (or 2 tsp dried oregano)
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley (do not substitute dried for this one)
4-6 Thai chili peppers, seeds removed, finely chopped
1 tbsp filé powder
1 10 oz. can chopped tomatoes, drained
1-1/2 pounds King Crab legs (or 1 pound lump crab meat)
1 pound shrimp, shelled and de-veined
1/2 pound bay scallops or clam or oyster meat
1/2 tsp salt, or to taste
4 cups cooked rice

Directions

Sauté the okra in a small amount of oil in an iron skillet for 8 minutes on high heat and then about 7 minutes more on medium heat, or until the stringiness is gone. Set aside.
Note: Do not substitute olive oil in this recipe.

Sauté the celery, onions, bell pepper, and garlic in 2 tbsp oil until the onions are translucent. I usually start the celery first for a few minutes, and then I add the onions and bell pepper and sauté those for a couple of minutes and add the garlic last. This way the garlic will not burn and not turn bitter. I sauté with the garlic only about 2 minutes. You can then store these on top of the okra.

In a large saucepan or stockpot, make a roux with the 1 tbsp butter, 2 tbsp canola oil, and 1/3 cup flour. Cook the roux until it is a deep reddish brown - this will be just a few minutes past the “peanut butter” color stage. Add more oil, if needed. The roux should have the consistency of yogurt and be fairly easy to stir at this point so that you do not burn it. Add the tomatoes and cook until all liquid has been absorbed and the mixture is thickened into a paste. Add the filé, basil, oregano, and thyme and cook about 5 minutes more. It will be a very thick paste at this point, similar to a choux or puff paste. Add the water slowly, stirring constantly, and then add the bay leaves and bouillon. Stir until the bouillon has dissolved, and then add the sautéed vegetables, including the okra, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer covered for about 30 minutes. This is a good time to start making the rice.

Just before you are ready to serve, add the crab, shrimp, parsley, and scallops, and cook for 5 minutes more, or until the scallops are done. Check the seasoning, and add a dash of cayenne, Tabasco sauce, Chinese Chili Paste if it is not hot enough. It should be slightly salty, as the rice will require a bit of salt, but be careful not to overdo the salt - this will ruin the flavor. You can always add a tiny bit of salt at the table. If you are using pre-cooked shrimp, add them only at the time of serving, and store leftover shrimp separately. Serve in large, deep soup bowls over rice. You may want to offer Tabasco or chili paste for those who want more pepper flavor, but I don’t find this necessary. If you use Thai chili peppers, it will be hot enough. If you use milder peppers, you may have to increase the quantity or you can leave the seeds in.

When I make quantities that I expect to freeze, I always store the leftovers in individual containers of whatever amount I want to reheat at one time. Gumbo can be reheated once, but not twice.

Yield: 4 quarts, or 8 large (2 cup) servings, not including rice

Note: It is unconventional to use both a roux and file powder, but that's the way I like it.

Lars

Uh, asking how to make gumbo is a lot like asking how to make chili. Beans or no? Tomatoes or no?

Similarly, you'll find all sorts of definitions and rules, most of which can be broken. Having said that, here are some observations based on many years of gumbo consumption in every place from family dinners to restaurants in New Orleans and southwest La. (My bona fides: I'm part cajun and lived in Louisiana the first 25 years of life. I've eaten--and cooked--lots of gumbos.)

Gumbos usually all have a roux. It can be a mild blond roux or a dark mahogany brown roux depending on how much of a flavor you want it to impart and what thickening you want. By the way, the thickening power of a roux is inversely related to its darkness--light rouxs have more thickening power than dark rouxs. But there's no rule to say you can't have some of both. (Gumbos may, in addition, have either okra or file, but not both. For instance, chicken & sausage gumbo is usually a file gumbo--I've never seen okra in one. Likewise, seafood gumbos have might have okra but no file.) A lot of recipes for file gumbo call for adding the file to the pot at the end of cooking and then allowing it to sit for a few minutes. In my family, file was treated as a condiment on the table, add it to your personal taste. I like it a lot, but some people don't want to use as much as I do. Likewise for hot sauce. Have some Tabasco or sriracha on the table for people to heat their individual dishes.

Sausage: andouille if you can find it, kielbasa if you can't. Don't bother using low fat sausage. It'll taste like hot dogs.

Making a roux can be tricky to the uninitiated, but you might try the technique in the recipe that follows.

If you have access to a water 'bullet' smoker (Brinkmann or similar, electric or charcoal), it's worth smoking up a bunch of chickens just to be able to make this recipe.

Smoked Chicken and Andouille Sausage File Gumbo

1 fryer 3 to 4lbs, smoked
1 -1 1/2 lbs andouille sausage (see notes)
1/2 lb baked ham, diced (see notes)
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 bunch green onions, chopped
2 cups onions, chopped
2 qt chicken stock (see notes) or water
1 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
2 tbsp chopped parsley
1 tbsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp cayenne
1 1/2 tsp thyme
3 bay leaves
Flour
vegetable oil
Salt
Gumbo File

This recipe takes a fair amount of time, but the labor can be spread out over days. You can smoke the chickens one day, make stock another, and assemble the gumbo on yet another day. It works best with chickens smoked in a water smoker (Brinkmann or similar device) but you can substitute rotisserie chickens from the supermarket if you don't have a smoker or the time. It freezes beautifully, so I usually multiply the recipe 4 or 6 fold. A 'single' recipe (i.e., one chicken) makes a great meal for 4 hungry or 6 polite people.

Get some chickens in the 3 to 4 pound range. Season them generously with black and red pepper. Smoke them for 4 hours or so in a smoker using hickory or pecan wood. (Don't use mesquite; it's too resiny for this dish.) If you use rotisserie chickens, use the ones with the simplest flavorings; don't go for the heavy barbecue sauced ones.

Remove the meat from the cooked chickens and reserve, saving the skin and bones to make stock. Put the skin and bones in a stockpot with onions, celery and garlic. Figure roughly 1 medium onion, two stalks of celery, and one garlic clove per chicken carcass. Don't add salt. Add 1 or 2 qt. cold water per chicken carcass and bring up to a simmer. Skim off any scum that rises to the top, simmer for at least a few hours. Strain it.

Before making a roux, have your onions and other vegetables chopped up. You'll use them to arrest the browning of the roux.

Make a roux: in a large pyrex measure (at least twice as large as the oil and flour, and bigger is better) or microwaveable glass bowl, use 1/2 cup oil and 1/2 cup flour for every chicken. (So if you're making a 6-chicken recipe, that would be 3 cups oil, 3 cups flour in a vessel no smaller than 12 cups, and larger is better). Put it in the microwave on high for 3 minutes. It'll bubble and froth. Stir it well, nuke it again for 2 minutes. Stir. Nuke again for 1 minute. Stir. Repeat the nuke/stir cycles, 30 seconds at a time, until it turns medium brown (about the color of peanut butter) At that point throw in some of the chopped vegetables to arrest the browning. It'll steam (be careful). Mix well. Put the roux and the rest of the vegetables in the bottom of a stock pot, mix well, add a little of the stock and mix again; then add the sausage, ham, all the seasonings except for salt and file powder, and the rest of the stock. Simmer for about 30 minutes. The oil from the roux and the sausage will rise to the top; ladle it off and discard. During this time, make some rice. Add the reserved chicken meat, simmer for another 10-15 minutes. Degrease the dish again. Add salt only if needed (probably won't need it, especially if you used canned chicken broth). Serve over boiled rice. Each diner may wish to add 1/4 to 1/2 tsp of gumbo file to his dish.

Leftover gumbo can be frozen; figure 1 to 2 cups per person, and make a fresh batch of rice while the gumbo is thawing. Nothing better on a cold winter night.

Notes on ingredients: Andouille is a rich and spicy smoked sausage. Acceptable substitutes are kielbasa or smoked sausage. Don't use low-fat turkey sausage--it'l taste like hot dogs. Ham: get a chunk from the deli and cut it into 1/2 inch dice. Gumbo file is powdered sassafras leaves; it thickens the broth and gives an herbal touch. Both of these ingredients are available at most big supermarkets. Chicken Stock: If you don't want to make stock, you can use canned stock but that can make the dish salty. If you can find reduced-sodium broth, that's the best. You can always add salt if needed. Half canned stock and half water is okay. It'll even taste acceptably good if you use 100% water instead of stock, but stock makes it richer. For the ultimate in rich flavor, use the liquid from the smoker's water pan as part of the liquid you use to make your stock; just be sure to strain it well.

Thank ya'll again, I have lots of cooking to do to make a good gumbo. Thanks for all your tips and recipes.
I want to make chicken, sausage gumbo with a little shrimp thrown in at the end.

So Alexa - my guess is you've tried more than one recipe and probably even developed one of your own since you saved the thread in 2006. What is your favorite? Whatever it is I know it won't contain Old Bay......... something about scary childhood memories at the fish markets?

Teresa

I was lucky enough to have some of Karen's gumbo made by Karen herself a few years ago when we all rented that log home in Gatlinburg Tn. It was wonderful.

Nancy

Trust a Lousiana gal to make a good gumbo....lacking that someone who learned how from someone with a good Cajun background. I make it pretty well how Karen makes hers...but never use kielbasa.
As for Old Bay??? Really? you know what that is and why? It's a seasoning from the Chesapeak Bay meant to be added to sea food boils....crabs, clams and such. It's been a standard in my cupboard for years....used in the pot of water when boiling crabs, clams and such.....never in gumbo or cioppino or any seafood stew.
Need to make me some gumbo....got a bag of rice just begging for some seafood gumbo to be ladled over the top.

Well, I think gumbo is definitely in the foreseeable future for me. These all look good. Did Karen ever get around to documenting her method, as she said she "should" back in 2006? If so, anyone have it to post or link?

Arley, that microwaved roux threw me for a loop. Interesting!

Alexa, thanks for the public service, grin.

I can vouch for Arley's microwave method.

The first one I made was Karens and that is still my "go to" most often. However, I have made the other ones listed and they are all very good. Arly the smoked chicken one sounds interesting and since it is going to be 80 and sunny this weekend, I think I will smoke up a mess of chicken and give your recipe a try. And I can't fathom microwave roux, so I will try that for the first time too. Thanks!

Alexa