Thinking About Making a Big Pot of Gumbo

I have been thinking about making a big pot of gumbo for a couple of weeks now with all of the cold weather we've been having. Gumbo is one of those dishes that has soul. So when I am planning my pot of gumbo goodness I think about what kind of flavors do I want to pull from the stockpot this time. Cooking gumbo is not about just following a recipe. In fact, show me 100 hundred cooks making gumbo and I will show you 100 recipes. That is OK. So for this next stockpot full, I believe it calls for a combination of smoky flavors as well as some seafood. Images in my mind of succulent sausages, seafood, shrimp, scallops, oysters, fish, crawfish, crab meat and chicken as possible meat choices really gets my juices flowing. It does not have to be, but most all of my creations could be considered seafood gumbo, because it seems some kind of seafood always makes it into the recipe.

The secret to cooking a great pot of gumbo all begins with the roux. Take out your stockpot, a six to eight quart pot should do. Begin with a little oil. You can use vegetable oil, butter or cook up some bacon for the drippings. It is a personal choice, but I let my planned end product guide my tastes. For example if making a pot of simple and delicate shrimp creole or crawfish gumbo, maybe stick butter will do, since you will want a blonde roux. If you are looking for a rich dark roux maybe go with the bacon or vegetable oil. Most important is to stir the roux with love and never let it burn. A great roux can take anywhere from 45 minutes to 1 1/2 hours of stirring and stirring. After that you will want to stir in your onions, bell pepper and celery and sweat it down until the onion turns translucent. Then start adding in your other items. The order of what you add in could be debated but let your soul shine through and feel the tasty goodness along with the wonderful aroma coming from the gumbo pot.

Key Steps:

1. Roux
2. Spices
3. Vegetables
4. Gumbo stock and broth
5. Meats
6. Simmer and then let it breath
7. Prepare your rice and bread
8. Enjoy!