Dat Magical Gumbo!
Gumbo is a Cajun dish, that is cooked in
a pot on the stove, and is sort of a stew, but not really.
The word Gumbo is
African in decent and means "Okra".
Most people I know today do not use okra
in their Gumbo, it is too slimy and many people do not enjoy it.
The corner stone of Gumbo's unmistakable flavor is a concoction called roux, and pronounced "ROO".
Gumbo is and has been standard table fare in the poverty stricken areas of south
Louisiana for a long long time.
It is simple to make, but
diverse in flavor, and a ritual in its own right.
Of all the things I have
cooked over time, Gumbo is far and away the most enjoyable to both cook and eat.
As table fare goes from the stove top pot, Gumbo is the
reigning King of enjoyment for me,
from gathering the ingredients, to cooking it, to eating it, to remembering
it.
It is a rare pot of any other stew type
dish that will have you remembering it 10 years later....
All across
America, people are discovering the magic of cooking gumbo. It is a simple
practice
that has so many complex and rewarding possibilities that there is
no end to it's offering you
something new from the same little pot. I still
remember several separate pots I've cooked over the years,
and they have
been many in number. Some pots are so good that you just cannot believe it.
Each bite offers layers upon layers of complex flavor; an explosion of
flavor,
your tongue is shocked by all of the complex combinations.
I
dont really know why or how gumbo does this, but it surely does happen.
When
the true alchemy has taken place in that gumbo pot,
each spoonful offers an
explosion of different flavors to both surprise
and satisfy even the most
demanding palette.
No two batches of gumbo are ever the same, so dont think
that you cook it once and you've got it down.
You can't go home again,
and you can't make the same pot of gumbo twice either, no matter how you might
try.
(And by God I sure have tried)
Most gumbo batches are good, but
SOME of them are absolutely excellent, and though you will try to duplicate what
you did to make this happen, never again will that pot appear on your stove.
It's a one time shot, and when you realize the individuality of each pot of
Gumbo, and realize that all there is, is what is in that pot, you come to
realize the magic of cooking gumbo.
You may even find yourself freezing a
small portion of it, just to keep a little piece of that one magnificent batch.
Whether you're setting out to make your first ever pot of gumbo, or your
thousandth, you'll
almost certainly learn something in the process that
you'll use the next time,
but the next batch will still have new charms all
its own.
This is one of the great pleasures of cooking gumbo.
Gumbo for myself and many others has become an outright
ritual.
I really mean that, Gumbo becomes a ritual to those who are caught by its spell.
Making roux is a ritual in itself, that is the corner stone of good gumbo.
Preparing to cook gumbo can start in the spring believe
it or not, but it certainly doesn't have to.
Fresh vegetables that are frozen for the winter from the garden add a "better
than store bought" zing to ingredients.
(And fresh ones are best of all)
I made up these pages to offer you the secrets of making
Gumbo as best as I know them.
If you do not enjoy the kitchen, then dont bother trying to make this stuff.
This isn't a 5 minute meal, there are 2 hour versions and 2 day versions. There
are "all in the pot at once" versions and multiple layered
versions, that use every ingredient to its fullest, offering several degrees
of flavor from one item. It can be simple and delicious, or simple and unbelievably
good.
Or perhaps complicated and demanding of your palate.
It can be complex and leave you reeling at its powerful explosion of flavor.
(Which is my favorite)
That's just the way it goes with gumbo.
It will really surprise you, and that is a lot of the fun and charm of
Gumbo.
I would not dare call myself a master of Gumbo, but I have walked this trail
for a few miles.
I hope you enjoy this and what Gumbo has to offer!
A chicken lays an egg, she turns around
and looks,
and the egg is the size of a grapefruit.
What does the chicken say?
"KEEyawe!!!!"
(The Coonass version of GOLLY!) HE He!
About Gumbo How To Make Roux Ingredients Layering Gumbo Making Stock Recipes
