What is the key ingredient in gumbo?

What is the key ingredient in gumbo?

Gumbo consists primarily of a strongly-flavored stock, meat or shellfish, a thickener, and the Creole “holy trinity” ― celery, bell peppers, and onions. Gumbo is often categorized by the type of thickener used, whether okra or filé powder (dried and ground sassafras leaves).

What kind of sausage is best for gumbo?

For the purposes of gumbo, you might want to stick to pork kielbasa, but you can use any you like. Polish sausage is excellent for many recipes and fits right into gumbo or any other Louisiana region dishes.

Do you cook the chicken before putting it in gumbo?

Place all the chicken pieces into a large soup pot, and pour the broth over the chicken. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer, and cook the chicken until tender, about 20 minutes.

Is a roux necessary for gumbo?

Most gumbo recipes begin with roux, and for good reason: it’s the foundation for the entire dish. Roux is flour that’s browned in fat (like oil or butter) to thicken and flavor gumbo and other Cajun dishes. She uses neutral oil in her gumbo roux because it has a higher smoke point, which means you can cook it darker.

What is the purpose of roux in gumbo?

A Roux (pronounced “roo”) is browned in a mixture of white wheat flour and a cooking fat (oil or animal fat) that is used to thicken sauces, stews, and gravies. Roux serves as the base for most gumbo recipes where a rich, deep, hearty flavor, and texture is desired.

Does tomatoes go in gumbo?

Creole gumbos most often include tomatoes, shellfish and dark roux and often okra and filé powder, an herb made from ground leaves of sassafras trees. It’s not uncommon for both Creole and Cajun gumbo to include meats such as ham or sausage as well.

What is gumbo slang for?

There’s a new type of gumbo in Southeast Texas but it’s not your favorite creole cuisine. It’s a slang name for the latest drug combination to pop up in our area.

Do tomatoes go in gumbo?

How much roux do I use for gumbo?

Find out how much roux you need: 3 ounces of roux per quart of liquid will thicken a sauce to a thin or light consistency. 4 ounces of roux per quart = medium body sauce. 5 ounces of roux per quart = thick sauce.

Should gumbo be thick or soupy?

Gumbo is much denser than a simple soup; the broth has a thick, almost viscous consistency. And that characteristic is most commonly created by making a roux, cooking flour and oil together until they thicken and darken. Otherwise, gumbo can be thickened with file, which is just powdered dried sassafras leaves.

Do you simmer gumbo covered or uncovered?

Cooking it more slowly over medium heat will take 20-30 minutes. Add the onions, celery, and bell peppers and cook, stirring, until wilted, 4 to 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, uncovered and stirring occasionally, for 1 hour.