Ro-jay, mais howse you spose to make da roux dat way? Let me splain sumptin to you.
Everybody knows that a gumbo starts with the roux. You get 3/4 cup flour and 3/4 cup oil. Place it in a skillet and put it on a medium low heat and stir. And stir. And stir. You stir until it is the color of the Vermillion River after a nutria rat die off (or the color of an old penny). Don't go ANYWHERE past that or it will be BURNT!!! Once you get it that color pour it in the big gumbo pot,
quickly. You can add a bit of water then and your vegetables if you want. I use two large chopped onions, one thing of celery and two bell peppers (and sometimes some okra but that's optional).
Boil one whole chicken prior to making the roux. Once it is boiled, de-bone it and save the broth. (If you put the broth in the freezer the fat floats to the top and you can just scrape it off.) Pour it in the pot later when you add the chicken and stuff. Oh, make sure you cut that chicken meat up unless you want stringy chicken.
Add seasoning to taste, I like cayenne pepper, garlic, salt, and
Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning (IG if you don't have that in Mass let me know and I will send you some).
You don't have to do this but I boil two links of smoked sausage before slicing and adding to the gumbo, it cuts down on the grease.
Anyway, I add quite a bit of water to the concoction and a couple of chicken boullion cubes as well. Everything goes in the pot and let it simmer for a couple of hours. We have gumbo file' down here, it is ground sassafras leaves and I add it to my bowl. We eat gumbo over rice and I like to crumble up crackers in it.
To make a quick, easy and oil free roux Tony Chachere also has a roux and gravy mix.
So here's the run down...
1 chicken
1 thing of celery (the whole bunch)
2 large onions
2 bell peppers
2 links of smoked sausage
2 or 3 cans of crabmeat (frugal cajun secret - you can add tunafish in spring water and no one will know the difference. Drain it of course)
add shrimp or crawfish tails as well.
IG...I'll tell you what. The next time I am visiting my brother up in Arlington, Mass, we will get together and I will make you some gumbo.
Craig
Edited to add:
By the way, if you want to see some hot sauces, check this out!
Hottest Sauces in the World
