Hey Rouxroux, how do you do....it?
 

I am NOT a cook, but I made a stab at gumbo earlier. So how do you make "your" roux? Mine turned out great, but took me for freakin' ever (in hindsight, I was probably using too low of heat) 'cause I didn't want to burn it. I grabbed mine off an old Justin Wilson video...1 1/2 cup olive oil and 3/4 cup of flour. The gumbo came out damn good, not the best, but I'm sure I'll get it mo' better next time. So come on y'all gimme your roux (and gumbo) tips, but keep it simple...:)

I use Paul Prudhomme's "Louisiana Kitchen" book. It has good instructions and more importantly images showing the different levels of color. A gumbo needs a very dark roux, it looks like used motoroil. It is a fine line between getting it right and burning it. I like to go slow to avoid pushing it too far.

I lived in Louisiana for several years, so I have seen it done and more importantly know how it's supposed to taste like! :) Of all Cajun/Creole dishes I still make, Gumbo is the one I make most often. If I have any tough small game critters that need a good boil to be tender, Gumbo is the go-to dish. You can put anything in a Gumbo. That's the spirit!

G

The best way to make a roux is in the oven. You really have to try hard to burn it.
I use a one to one mix, 1 cup flour to one cup of veg. oil. For a good tasting roux use beacon drippings. For the best tasting roux use duck fat.
My wife and I enter cooking events all the time and win some as well.
We both grew up in New Orleans and both of our parents taught us to cook.

Thanks G! I "know" how it's supposed to taste...only 'cause I've been a frequent visitor Jazz Fest and several Mardi Gras (as a youngin') over the years. I didn't "quite" get to the level I was looking for, but not bad for a rookie if I must say so myself. My roux turned out great...just as you describe, but I probably spent over an hour getting it to that point. I had my heat on low (2 ish), and never stopped stirring the whole time. I'd just like to expedite that time a bit. I did the chicken (2 breasts and a pack of drumsticks) in a pot for stock, and browned some Andouille, put onion and celery in (didn't have bell pepper on hand), and then some fresh (and some frozen) okra in. Didn't have any file powder on hand...is that critical? Let it all sit in the fridge overnight, and then brought it back to life before serving, but I'm still missing "something", but don't quite know what. I used some of my own "Cajun spice" blend that I had made up some time back, and also added some "Tony Chachere's Creole" seasoning, along with plenty of Crystal hot sauce. I KNOW you know your stuff (from other threads). I've been to 'Nawlins a bunch over the years, so I know what it's supposed to taste like...I'm just not quite there yet...help a Pelican brother out! I reckon it's like chile...I've never made a "bad" batch, sometimes it's just better and I've never done it the same way twice :).

Thanks SJ! I've always heard the 1/1 ratio flour to (butter or oil), and I'm sure the bacon adds flavor, but I was trying to do it a bit healthier. Tell me more about the oven technique!

ps: I've stayed in Slidell quite a few times in earlier years...back when I went to Mardi Gras.

The oven method:
Pre heat the oven to 350. In a cast iron pan, mix your oil and flour 1 to 1. Place in oven, after 10 Min's or so give is stir. Continue to do this until the desired color is reached. Should take about 20 Min's.

Thank you! That sounds a LOT easier...

You can use higher heat if you stir constantly, low heat only if you're doing other things at the same time. It should be a little darker than peanut butter when done.

You did roast the drummies before you made the stock? Roasted bones are somewhat critical. I always have a frozen roast carcass or two in the freezer for this purpose.

I use tomatoes, I can of diced, drained.

Finally, the okra goes in just before its done, as a thickener, really. ten minutes or so most.

Epicurious.com is a pretty good resource for ideas, no need to strictly follow a recipe, but you can get some inspiration.

my mother always said when your roux turns to the color of a paper bag, it's done

Hey, thanks guys...keep those tips coming...I'm takin' notes here :)!!!

I'd suggest you use a recipe. Personally, I like Emeril's gumbo better than Paul Prudhomme's. Stick to a 1:1 ratio on the roux, use good ingredients and make no substitutes. The quality of things like the sausage make a big difference, as does browning the meats first. There's Andouille that you buy in a grocery store, then there's Andouille, which is a different thing altogether. I usually cut my sausage into smaller pieces than the recipe suggests and I shred the chicken after it's cooked at put it back in. Make your own stock, don't use the crap in a box, or the (much worse) crap in a can. If you use shrimp, use fresh gulf shrimp, not farmed Asian crap, and put it in at the very end. It only takes a couple minutes to cook.

JR

here is a shortcut i like to use.
put a pan of flour in a medium hot oven and toast it to a light nut brown.

now make your roux.
you have just cut about twenty minutes off your stirring time.

Well now, just saw this and many have the 1:1 ratio down well. I NEVER use oil unless I'm shooting for a light "white" roux. I'm very old school, and it all about taste, not so much color. I use butter and bacon drippings, and the rule is SLOW, SLOW, SLOW. On my usual dark, I stir until the taste is just "nutty". If you scorch it/rush it, you'll just end up with a mess that will leave your dishes bitter. After I finish the roux is when I add spices and maybe a little stock.

the color of the roux has to be matched to what you are cooking

be aware that cast iron does not cool down quickly so you either have to add meat, etc. to cool it or stop a little early on the color

I don't understand why people have trouble with making a roux, but I guess I am biased...

file powder is critical to file gumbo - you can just make an okra gumbo

file needs to be made from leaves that were gathered at the right stage of the moon... (I guess was was into biodynamic before the wine grape people, huh?)

Yes, you're biased....I bet half the people that read this thread don't even know what a roux is :D. Thanks for all the input guys....mine will be better next time, less healthier, and a whole lot less effort....that I ga-ron-tee :p

ps: Don't know what to do about real Andouille though...I'm limited to the crap they sell in the chain stores around here. I didn't use shrimp this time around, but can get fresh shrimp straight from the docks in NC....they don't suck.

You can get anything via mail order, if you can't find it in a specialty store where you live. I can get it in Tulsa, which is not the food capital of the world. Fer instance, when I have a need to cook and eat a wild boar ragu, the wild boar shoulder comes from New York. Ironic, given that they run around wild in Oklahoma, but I digress... All you need is a credit card.

JR

sacre bleu!!

Thanks JR...I'll probably order a batch and just put some in the freezer for future use.

I had to look it up :D

I said that to my French Canadian colleague when we were bopping around Fort Wayne 2 weeks ago. He informed me that the French world doesn't use that expression at all.

Re: roux & gumbo. Now if you (and/or your loved ones) don't really like most seafood or Andouille (I know, I know - utter heathens) is there any point? I have never made gumbo but I am always looking for variety.

Ian

French Canada = French world ???

it is big - BTW, I've always thought it would be fun to collect all the Moroccan French foods together and compare with the Vietnamese French foods; also it is a religious no-no and takes the name of the virgin mary in vain - well, her dress anyways...

for variety you can make alligator gumbo

re real Andouille - I know you cannot buy it here, tho an interesting something can be had locally; the locals have discovered however how to eff up poutine

you can, however, buy it (at great shipping expense) from one of the many mail order places in cajun La.

Roux in a oven? Mmmm no. A key to a good roux is to never stop stirring and never leave it alone. The darker the roux the richer the Gumbo. 1 to 1 ratio is about right but I just do it by feel. You know it right when you feel the drag on the spoon as your stirring it. And gumbo is NOT a tomato based dish...Best gumbo is a good chicken and sausage gumbo. I'll throw a few chickens on the smoker, after they are done pick the meat off the bones then boil the carcass to get all the meat. The smokiness in the meat adds to the gumbo, then use a quality sausage with a lot of sage seasoning. I like Ma Bells sausage, made in Summit MS.
Nothing like a good winter day with the fireplace going and a pot of gumbo with a football game on TV.

There's a oxymoron for you...

Kind of like Canadian beer...

JR

KC, I always make it in a cast iron dutch oven sized pot. 1/1 ratio medium heat, constant stirring until the color of a chocolate bar. add the celery/onion/ bell pepper and cook until soft. I like shrimp, but a friend of mine uses diced up smoked turkey breast.
warren

Bellue's in Baton Rouge is my go-to place if I want authentic Anduille. Their Anduille is very high in ham meat content (vs. fat).

Bellue's Fine Cajun Cuisine

They ship. $4.99/lb.

Also consider Tasso for gumbo. I think it is even smokier.

HTH,

G

You need a recipe. Especially for the spices. Get the Prudhomme book. You can find it on Amazon for under $10 used. File is not necessary at all for most gumbos. Also, for doing the roux, put your stove on HOT, as hot as it gets and stir like a fool with a big metal whisk with a long handle. Shouldn't take more than 5-10 minutes. If you overdo it and think it tastes bitter, let it boil for a few hours and add a dash of tomato paste, the flower and bitter taste will get absorbed. As it was mentioned, use your vegetables and dump them in the roux to cool it off immediately.

HTH!

G

Man, I knew I came to the right place :). Thank you all! G, you should see the looks I get when I've inquired about Tasso locally....y'all are gonna make me FAT if I don't watch out!

Well, here you go. Check out the colors. Don't settle for anything but what he shows as "Gumbo" grade! The lighter ones are just for etouffee.

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/Np3uGcdQNUw" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Great KC, now I am getting hungry!

I often use smoked ham or smoked ham hocks in a pinch to add the smoky flavor. Don't go for a cheap smoked sausage that's 70% fat.

I just made gumbo for 30 people at a labor day camping trip. Chicken, deer, pronghorn antelope. :D Always a crowd pleaser, whatever you toss in it and easy to cook in bulk.

G

Sorry, but that's complete idiocy to make a roux in another pot. Fry up the squirrel until brown, pull out and use the same pot and oil to make your roux. Why dirty another pot and waste the flavor and all those small cruncy pieces that fell off during the squirrel fry? For saving time? On a dish that takes 2h to cook?

Cajuns were poor and some still are to date. They probably had no more than one or two pots in the whole house.

G

it's an old recipe - many decades and actually it's a Creole recipe

I think the 2 pot method is to remove lead from the squirrels

Here an example from today. Wild duck, deer & shrimp gumbo. Loosely following the Chicken & Anduille Sausage Gumbo recipe from Prudhomme. I only had smoked ham to make up for the Anduille. You see the color of that? The roux needs to be one shade darker (the gravy always looks lighter than the roux did).

Let us know your next Cajun food endeavor.

G

I don't think the roux needs to be any darker. Remember, it changes flavors as it darkens and I am not as concerned with the color as the taste. It looks like it needs to be a little thicker. The ham doesn't make up for the Andouille, you really want both Tasso and Andouille in a gumbo. I'd also suggest that you cut the meats into bite-sized pieces before putting them back in the pot.

Try Emeril's recipes. I've made batches of his gumbo side-by-side with Paul's and everyone that tried it liked it better. Nothing against Paul, as his credentials are beyong reproach, but Emeril does a few things differently.

JR

That does not make sense. The whole point behind the color isn't cosmetics. It is taste. A darker roux tastes significantly different from a lighter one. It is just like barley for beer, coffee or anything else that is roasted. Gumbo = dark Roux.

My viscosity is actually on the thicker side - it just looks thin in the picture . I do not like runny gumbo but do think of it as a soup dish being served in a deep plate, not a thick gravy dish.

Yes, big bummer on the ham. Send me some Anduille! But wild duck makes up for some of the lost flavor ... hmmmmm ... :)

G

Okay, lemme say it another way... sometimes people get too hung up on the roux. It's not a contest to see who can make the darkest roux without f'ing it up. The darker you go, the greater the risk of burning it. Yours looked plenty dark, judging from the color of the finished gumbo.

What I'd suggest you focus on is making a rich, dark brown chicken stock, which makes a sizeable difference in the flavor of the finished gumbo. To me, it's a bigger difference than whether or not the roux was dark brown, really dark brown, or black.

That, and having all of the ingredients you need, helps...

Lastly, "soup" or not, I'd suggest you make it a little thicker. That's what the okra and file are for.

JR

Sure wish you could taste it. Agreed on the Roux then. Definitely take your time and don't overdo it.

I never use stock if I have small game go in. The wild game needs to go at least 6 hours in the crock pot to be falling off the bone - that gives a fuller flavor than any domestic chicken ever will. And my bones stay in the gumbo - not going to do the work for the eaters!

In the end, Gumbo isn't a fixed recipe in terms of ingredients and preparation. It is a poor mans dish and whatever gram-pa caught in the swamp and gram-ma got int he garden went into it. Across Louisiana, you'd be surprised how it varies from family to family and cook to cook. What is striking there is how many people actually cook at home. Never seen that anywhere else in the USA, not counting recent immigrants. What's great in Louisiana is that men know how to cook too.

G

Crock pot? Awwww geeez....

FWIW, I used to live in New Orleans.... So we be familiar with Louisiana, just a bit.

All I am saying I guess, is that any dish can be made the way some poor old coonass made it fifty years ago, or we can fast forward into the modern era and apply a little of what we've learned from other food cultures and kick things up a notch, to quote my favorite Portagee...

JR

yes, thicker

thickness of gumbo does differ (or used to) between Creole & Cajun, but that looks too thin to me

OTOH, we are not going to be eating it, you are, so...


BTW - BAm - kick things up a notch is the only guy from outside who got respect in La.