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| | Gumbo can be many things. I learned to make it using Paul Prudhomme's first book. Other Louisiana and southern cookbooks should have it, as should Joy of Cooking and one of Jeff Smith's (The Frugal Gourmet) | | books. However, as a simple (and rough) starter: | | Gumbo is a rich cajun soup, thickened either with a) okra , b) a roux , or c) file' powder (ground sassafrass leaves). Of course, these can be combined. | | I have made all types, but the easy one to make is the roux based. Pay attention and read through before attempting, you'll need to rearrange the steps to make it efficient. | | Start with oil and flour (approx 2 Tbs each). Heat the oil in the bottom of your soup pot, then add the flour. Stir the flour briskly and brown the roux. It's faster to do over high heat BUT it's easier to mess it up. Prudhomme has a section on making roux that discusses this. Be careful to not get any on you or you'll find out why it's called cajun napalm". Take it off the heat if it gets too hot until it cools down. | | As soon as the roux is medium to dark brown (don't scorch the flour or you'll need to start all over) |
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