Gumbo!

Cafe Society
1

So, yesterday I boiled down some chicken thighs to make enchiladas. Hitherto I had been using chicken breast; but recently my son and I had lunch at a local Mexican restaurant generally acknowledged to be Awesome, and I realized that they used thigh meat in their enchiladas verdes. What a difference!

So anyway, the broth from boiling the thighs was sooo good that my friend jokingly suggested that I save it, “to make gumbo.”

–Little did he know! A great big light bulb went on over my head. "GUMBO?! HELL YEAH!"

So I went out today, and got me some okra and some shrimp. OMFG! I just want to thank the universe in general, and the Cajun/Creole Gods in particular, for the notion of Gumbo. I mean, God-damn!

2

The rule of thumb in MY Cajun family is: The cheaper the cut of meat, the better!!

Especially when it comes to gumbo or steak and gravy.

3

I WANT GUMBO!!! It’s not even 6 am while I write this, and you’ve mentioned a foodstuff unavailable around here. I’m very sad :frowning:

I “could” make it from scratch, but I’m a lousy cook. And where in hell can I find SASSAFRAS???

4

My wife makes kosher gumbo - no seafood, no pork - and you know what? It still tastes great. Such is the power of gumbo.

5

I don’t know if you know this but filé powder, which is dried sassafras, is what you want to look for. Maybe I’ve been lucky but I’ve never had a problem finding it.

Mmm, gumbo. I haven’t made any in quite a while, I might have to do that this weekend.

6

Is it a rad gumbo?

7

File powder, as I understand, is meant as a thickening agent if you are making your gumbo without okra.

8

Right you are, BrainGlutton.

I make a kosher jambalaya as well as kosher gumbo. It’s so easy now that turkey sausage is available. Just throw in some chicken as your other meat and you’re good to go. If only I could find beef tasso (yes, there is such a thing).

9

Always, always save the broth when you boil [del]chicken[/del] pretty much any meat.

10

Not to threadjack; but I’m curious as to how many people use whole chicken pieces (bones and all) when making chicken and sausage gumbo?

To me, leaving the bone in really puts it over the top.

11

Correct. And that is the only way to make gumbo.

Zatarains sells a file powder. It’s probably available in major grocery chains.

12

My dad is bringing a pot of duck gumbo to the family get-together this Friday.

the recipe, which he got from his ex-brother-in-law (a Louisiana coon-ass), ends with the line, Add squirrel to taste.