Ok, you Yanks make fun of us warm blooded cajuns, but it's the time for good Gumbo in Louisiana.
Temp has hit the 50's and that's Winter weather for us. Great for a party.
Thought I would share one of our favorite recipe's.
Gumbo - A Cajun ?precision? recipe?
Precision, because it is described exactly as my wife cooks it. I will be differentiating between ?general, and precision? recipes based on the level of details provided in the Instructions.
If one wants to prepare a meal based on a recipe?, and the product to come out exactly as the author intended, precision must be written in the details of HOW to do things. Often the difference in the outcome lies in the HOW TO part ?dat many Cajuns dant naw how ta?esplain?. The following is based on my observation as my wife, Debbie Billiodeaux, prepared her Gumbo. (logic may or may not be realized, but this is her way and it comes out great).
Please write or email us for you comments. Suggestions not welcomed, as I have tried that.
Gumbo - A Cajun ?precision? recipe?
Precision, because it is described exactly as my wife cooks it. I will be differentiating between ?general, and precision? recipes based on the level of details provided in the Instructions.
If one wants to prepare a meal based on a recipe?, and the product to come out exactly as the author intended, precision must be written in the details of HOW to do things. Often the difference in the outcome lies in the HOW TO part ?dat many Cajuns dant naw how ta?esplain?. The following is based on my observation as my wife, Debbie Billiodeaux, prepared her Gumbo. (logic may or may not be realized, but this is her way and it comes out great).
Please write or email us for you comments. Suggestions not welcomed, as I have tried that.
Ingredients:
Seasoning:
4-6 tblsp medium Roux (color may range medium to dark, but not light).
½ cup celery, chopped
2 tblsp garlic, chopped
2 large onions, chopped
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
5 stalks fresh green onions, chopped
16 ounce okra, chopped
3 12oz cans chicken broth (amt may be more, or slightly less)
2 ea bay leaves
Large dash Worchester sauce
12 ea dried shrimp (use 12-18 shrimp)
Tony Chachere Seasoning Mix (or equivalent)
Meat:
1 ea large Hen (not fryer) or Rooster - (cut up in eating size pieces. Usually about 15 pieces)
4-5 oz. Tasso meat(lean smoked beef) Cut up in small bite size pieces.
1 lb Smoked Pork sausage. (very important to have good quality sausage).
½ lb Andouille sausage.
Instructions:
a. Use a large gumbo pot that will hold half of all ingredients. (12-14qt pot with lid)
b. Fill pot with 4-5 quarts of water to begin with. Begin heating water.
c. Sauté? the okra in a skillet using a small amount of cooking oil (2 tbls). Continue stirring and cooking the okra on medium heat until they become tinder and begin to break as you stir. The stickiness will also diminish at this point to let you know it is done and ready to be added to heating water.
d. Prepare the meat while the water is heating by removing all of the skin (except the wings which are more difficult), and season liberally with Tony Chachere seasoning. Include all parts including the liver, heart, etc. Any other meat may be included with the hen (doves, squirrels, rabbit).
e. When the water is boiling, add the onions, celery, garlic, okra, Roux. Allow roux to dissolve and homogenize to get a feel if it is of the consistency you desire (thickness, color). Add more Roux to get desired results, but remember you can always add more later with little ill effect.
f. Add the seasoned meat next everything except the green onions and parsley. This will be added 30minutes before serving.
g. Cover and cook for 30 minutes or so. At this point, taste and look for consistency (thickness) and flavor. Add Roux if greater thickness or ?roux? flavor is desired. Add only 1 tablespoon at a time. Wait 5 minutes before adding more to prevent adding too much. Flavor may be off or just not there at this time also. This will generally depend on the freshness of the meat. If flavor is lacking, adding more sausage or Andouille can enhance this quality. Add ½ lb of either if you need to at this time. Also taste for pepper and saltiness. Use Tony Chachere if both are needed, but if only salt or only pepper, use appropriate seasoning.
h. After 1.5 hours, add Green onions and parsley.
i. Cook for several hours on low-medium heat or until meat is tender. Usually takes 1.5-2.5 hours. Add water to ensure enough to serve 12-14 persons.
Taste should be slightly on the salty side, as well as on the pepper side. Add Tony Charchere Seasoning mix to adjust. If too peppery, add only salt at this point. Remember that seasoning is what makes the difference! Don?t be afraid to go for it!
Thickness should be like a thin (but not watery) soup.
Serve with about 2 tablespoons of cooked rice in a large soup bowl.
Should look like a brown soup with a small amount of rice. (not like gravy over rice).
Generally French or garlic bread goes well with Gumbo.
Comments by author:
This recepe? is a mix of family tradition and additions/modifications from friends and modern ingredients (seasoning mixes and store bought Roux).
I no longer give the instructions as to ?how to make a Roux?, as it is readily available at our stores. Same about the amount of seasoning salts and pepper due to the excellent balance in the seasoning mixes such as Tony Chachere?s Seasoning mix. (Write to us if this is unavailable to you in your area.)
Seasoning is often the difference between a ?good?, and a ?great? tasting dish. It is a fine line as to know just when enough is enough.
I have found that the safe and good cook will season ?just? a little shy of enough, rarely over seasoning anything.
A ?great? cook will usually season just right, with occasion of over seasoning.
Which will you be?
Suggestion: Season to what YOU wish it to taste like. Chances are that you guest will like it that way too. After all, they are coming to taste Your dish. Go ahead, add that extra dash.
ENJOY and God Bless
TomBilliodeaux@hotmail.com Cook: Debbie Billiodeaux Opelousas, Louisiana
Get it and give it a try:
ftp://Tombilliodeaux.us\Cajun Recipe'Text
Temp has hit the 50's and that's Winter weather for us. Great for a party.
Thought I would share one of our favorite recipe's.
Gumbo - A Cajun ?precision? recipe?
Precision, because it is described exactly as my wife cooks it. I will be differentiating between ?general, and precision? recipes based on the level of details provided in the Instructions.
If one wants to prepare a meal based on a recipe?, and the product to come out exactly as the author intended, precision must be written in the details of HOW to do things. Often the difference in the outcome lies in the HOW TO part ?dat many Cajuns dant naw how ta?esplain?. The following is based on my observation as my wife, Debbie Billiodeaux, prepared her Gumbo. (logic may or may not be realized, but this is her way and it comes out great).
Please write or email us for you comments. Suggestions not welcomed, as I have tried that.
Gumbo - A Cajun ?precision? recipe?
Precision, because it is described exactly as my wife cooks it. I will be differentiating between ?general, and precision? recipes based on the level of details provided in the Instructions.
If one wants to prepare a meal based on a recipe?, and the product to come out exactly as the author intended, precision must be written in the details of HOW to do things. Often the difference in the outcome lies in the HOW TO part ?dat many Cajuns dant naw how ta?esplain?. The following is based on my observation as my wife, Debbie Billiodeaux, prepared her Gumbo. (logic may or may not be realized, but this is her way and it comes out great).
Please write or email us for you comments. Suggestions not welcomed, as I have tried that.
Ingredients:
Seasoning:
4-6 tblsp medium Roux (color may range medium to dark, but not light).
½ cup celery, chopped
2 tblsp garlic, chopped
2 large onions, chopped
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
5 stalks fresh green onions, chopped
16 ounce okra, chopped
3 12oz cans chicken broth (amt may be more, or slightly less)
2 ea bay leaves
Large dash Worchester sauce
12 ea dried shrimp (use 12-18 shrimp)
Tony Chachere Seasoning Mix (or equivalent)
Meat:
1 ea large Hen (not fryer) or Rooster - (cut up in eating size pieces. Usually about 15 pieces)
4-5 oz. Tasso meat(lean smoked beef) Cut up in small bite size pieces.
1 lb Smoked Pork sausage. (very important to have good quality sausage).
½ lb Andouille sausage.
Instructions:
a. Use a large gumbo pot that will hold half of all ingredients. (12-14qt pot with lid)
b. Fill pot with 4-5 quarts of water to begin with. Begin heating water.
c. Sauté? the okra in a skillet using a small amount of cooking oil (2 tbls). Continue stirring and cooking the okra on medium heat until they become tinder and begin to break as you stir. The stickiness will also diminish at this point to let you know it is done and ready to be added to heating water.
d. Prepare the meat while the water is heating by removing all of the skin (except the wings which are more difficult), and season liberally with Tony Chachere seasoning. Include all parts including the liver, heart, etc. Any other meat may be included with the hen (doves, squirrels, rabbit).
e. When the water is boiling, add the onions, celery, garlic, okra, Roux. Allow roux to dissolve and homogenize to get a feel if it is of the consistency you desire (thickness, color). Add more Roux to get desired results, but remember you can always add more later with little ill effect.
f. Add the seasoned meat next everything except the green onions and parsley. This will be added 30minutes before serving.
g. Cover and cook for 30 minutes or so. At this point, taste and look for consistency (thickness) and flavor. Add Roux if greater thickness or ?roux? flavor is desired. Add only 1 tablespoon at a time. Wait 5 minutes before adding more to prevent adding too much. Flavor may be off or just not there at this time also. This will generally depend on the freshness of the meat. If flavor is lacking, adding more sausage or Andouille can enhance this quality. Add ½ lb of either if you need to at this time. Also taste for pepper and saltiness. Use Tony Chachere if both are needed, but if only salt or only pepper, use appropriate seasoning.
h. After 1.5 hours, add Green onions and parsley.
i. Cook for several hours on low-medium heat or until meat is tender. Usually takes 1.5-2.5 hours. Add water to ensure enough to serve 12-14 persons.
Taste should be slightly on the salty side, as well as on the pepper side. Add Tony Charchere Seasoning mix to adjust. If too peppery, add only salt at this point. Remember that seasoning is what makes the difference! Don?t be afraid to go for it!
Thickness should be like a thin (but not watery) soup.
Serve with about 2 tablespoons of cooked rice in a large soup bowl.
Should look like a brown soup with a small amount of rice. (not like gravy over rice).
Generally French or garlic bread goes well with Gumbo.
Comments by author:
This recepe? is a mix of family tradition and additions/modifications from friends and modern ingredients (seasoning mixes and store bought Roux).
I no longer give the instructions as to ?how to make a Roux?, as it is readily available at our stores. Same about the amount of seasoning salts and pepper due to the excellent balance in the seasoning mixes such as Tony Chachere?s Seasoning mix. (Write to us if this is unavailable to you in your area.)
Seasoning is often the difference between a ?good?, and a ?great? tasting dish. It is a fine line as to know just when enough is enough.
I have found that the safe and good cook will season ?just? a little shy of enough, rarely over seasoning anything.
A ?great? cook will usually season just right, with occasion of over seasoning.
Which will you be?
Suggestion: Season to what YOU wish it to taste like. Chances are that you guest will like it that way too. After all, they are coming to taste Your dish. Go ahead, add that extra dash.
ENJOY and God Bless
TomBilliodeaux@hotmail.com Cook: Debbie Billiodeaux Opelousas, Louisiana
Get it and give it a try:
ftp://Tombilliodeaux.us\Cajun Recipe'Text
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