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MRS. ELIE'S CREOLE GUMBO
09/29/15 — Farm
By Megan Winfrey
Wondering what to do with allllll of that okra that just keeps showing up in your CSA box? We're coming atcha with the best gumbo EVER this week!
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This week, I took on a challenge that I've been shying away from for a few years. Gumbo, y'all. I have several friends that hail from Louisiana and they are all fabulous cooks - so I can confidently say that I've had some of the best gumbo out there. Now making it myself, not so confident about that one. But what better way to test yourself than in front of an audience, right? So here it is, my first attempt at gumbo, and I gotta say it was pretty damn good.
I used this recipe from the June 2012 issue of Smithsonian. It was the first link that came up when I googled "BEST GUMBO EVER"
![Making roux.]()
Making roux.
I was most nervous about making the roux because I've never made one before and I've heard time and time again that it is the most important part of a good gumbo and it has to be PERFECT. Turns out, as long as you keep stirring, a roux will appear. Just as I was thinking that it was the perfect color, I began to really smell the flour cooking and took it off the heat. The milk chocolate-y color along with the nutty flour smell were strong indicators that the roux was done. Look out for those and you will be fine.
Now that I've made gumbo, I really don't know what I was so afraid of. When you think about it, it's a simple dish comprised of well-known ingredients. But my, oh my, when everything comes together over a hot stove in a kitchen full of love, it's slap-yo-mama-good. So 'tis the season for comfort food, family, and finding that classic recipe that will become your signature.
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Wondering what to do with allllll of that okra that just keeps showing up in your CSA box? We're coming atcha with the best gumbo EVER this week!
This week, I took on a challenge that I've been shying away from for a few years. Gumbo, y'all. I have several friends that hail from Louisiana and they are all fabulous cooks - so I can confidently say that I've had some of the best gumbo out there. Now making it myself, not so confident about that one. But what better way to test yourself than in front of an audience, right? So here it is, my first attempt at gumbo, and I gotta say it was pretty damn good.
I used this recipe from the June 2012 issue of Smithsonian. It was the first link that came up when I googled "BEST GUMBO EVER"
- I modified it to better fit my time and budget. Here's how and why:
- I didn't use crab, too expensive
- I used headless shrimp, Whole Foods didn't have them with the heads on
- I used spicy pork sausage instead of Creole hot sausage, couldn't find it
- I served it over cornbread instead of rice, because I already had cornbread, and because yum
Making roux.
I was most nervous about making the roux because I've never made one before and I've heard time and time again that it is the most important part of a good gumbo and it has to be PERFECT. Turns out, as long as you keep stirring, a roux will appear. Just as I was thinking that it was the perfect color, I began to really smell the flour cooking and took it off the heat. The milk chocolate-y color along with the nutty flour smell were strong indicators that the roux was done. Look out for those and you will be fine.
Now that I've made gumbo, I really don't know what I was so afraid of. When you think about it, it's a simple dish comprised of well-known ingredients. But my, oh my, when everything comes together over a hot stove in a kitchen full of love, it's slap-yo-mama-good. So 'tis the season for comfort food, family, and finding that classic recipe that will become your signature.
