how do you make Gumbo? what is the best kind? and where does it come from?

Question

I am always willing to try some thing new

Answer 1

A gumbo recipe for the crockpot.
INGREDIENTS:
1/3 cup flour
1/3 cup cooking oil
3 cups chicken broth
12 to 16 ounces smoked sausage, sliced about 1/2" thick
2 cups chopped cooked chicken
2 cups diced cooked chicken
1 to 2 cups sliced okra
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1/2 cup chopped celery
4 cloves garlic, minced
salt, to taste
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
boiled white rice
PREPARATION:
For roux, in a heavy 2-quart saucepan stir together flour and oil until smooth. Cook over medium-high heat for 4 minutes, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to medium. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, for about 15 minutes more or until roux is dark reddish brown.

Add chicken broth to a 3 1/2 to 6-quart slow cooker. Stir in roux. Add sausage, chicken, okra, onion, green pepper, celery, garlic, salt, pepper, and red pepper. Cover and cook on LOW for 8 to 10 hours, or HIGH for 4 to 5 hours.
Skim off fat. Serve with hot cooked rice.
Makes 6 servings.

Answer 2

I am from the South where we eat alot of gumbo. It is a creole dish originating from New Orleans, LA. Here is an quick and easy recipe.
1 box of Zatarains Gumbo seasoning (without rice)
1 can of stewed tomatoes
1/2 bag of frozen cut okra
1 lb of chicken
1 lb of shrimp if you like
1 can of corn (if you like)
gumbo file
Zatarains seafood boil
Any seasonings like salt, pepper, garlic powder, or onion powder that you like to use.
Directions:
Boil chicken in water to make chicken stock; add about 1 or 2 tbsp of seafood boil to the chicken while boiling for flavor (add more if you like spicy)
Debone the chicken leaving only the meat and the stock
add all can veggies and okra to stock
Add shrimp when vegetables are hot
add a tad gumbo file to thicken and to add seafood flavor
Let simmer for about another 20 min
serve over a bed of rice

Note: As soon as this soup cools, you will need to put in the refridgerator so that it won't spoil. Only reheating what you want to eat.

Good luck.

Answer 3

It comes wherever cajun and creole abounds, so think of the Gulf Coast, around Louisianna and the lowcountry.

Gumbo should be spicy, and full of flavor. It is supposed to be thick, and there are two ways to do this: okra or file. Okra does it with the slim it makes (but it won't make your soup slimey, I promise!) and file, ground sassafras, acts much like arrowroot or cornstarch does (but don't substitute). In summer you usally use okra because it is in season, and file in winter. I prefer seafood gumbo with shrimp and crabmeat and some andouille, but there is also chicken and beef and just andouille. Adding tomatos is more of a New Orleans thing, but very good also. The most important thing is your roux. You can't make good gumbo if you mess up the roux.

Chicken and Andouille Gumbo
http://www.realcajunrecipes.com/recipes/cajun/chicken-andouille-gumbo/822.rcr

Seafood:
http://www.parenthood.com/recipe_display.html?ID=12342

If you want to go uber-easy, get a box of Zatarain's and dress it up as you like with seafood or chicken and andouille. It isn't like made from scratch, but it makes getting the ingrediants much easier and is consistently good. You also don't have to worry about a roux with it.

Untraditional, but if I'm using Zataran's I like to add some Tiger Sauce to mine. I used to only find it in Alabama when I went down there, but now Wal-Mart carries the TryMe brand all the way up here in Missouri. It is sweet and kind of spicy, and is best added at the table to your own bowl to taste.

Answer 4

EULA MAE'S SEAFOOD GUMBO
If you can, buy fresh shrimp with shells and heads still intact. If the heads have been removed, don't worry. Peel the shrimp and use the shells to make shrimp stock. Put the shells (and heads) in a small stockpot. Add 6 cups of water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, for about 1 hour. Remove from the heat, strain through a fine sieve, and set aside. If you don't have shrimp stock, water can be substituted.

3/4 cup peanut oil
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onions
1 cup chopped green bell peppers
1 cup chopped celery
3 garlic cloves (peeled)
5 cups shrimp stock or water (or more as needed)
2 bay leaves
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 teaspoon Tabasco pepper sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1 pound medium-size shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 pound lump crabmeat, picked over for shells and cartilage
2 dozen freshly shucked oysters with the liquor
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
3 tablespoons chopped green onions (green and white parts)
Filé powder



Combine the oil and flour in a large, heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Stirring slowly and constantly, make a medium-brown roux the color of peanut butter. This will take about 30 minutes.
Add the onions and bell peppers, and cook, stirring, until the vegetables are wilted and lightly golden, about 5 minutes. Add the celery and garlic cloves. Cook, stirring, for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the shrimp stock or water, bay leaves, thyme, and salt. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, for 45 minutes.

Add the shrimp and crabmeat and simmer until the shrimp turn pink, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the oysters and their liquor and simmer until the edges of the oysters curl, about 3 minutes. Remove and discard the bay leaves and thyme. Garnish with the parsley and green onions. Serve the gumbo over rice. Additional Tabasco and filé powder can be passed at the table to allow each guest to season according to taste.

Makes 8 to 10 servings

Answer 5

I like okra gumbo or shrimp gumbo. Louisianna has some good gumbo; the Cajun's know how to whoop it up. I make okra gumbo with okra, steweed tomatoes, onion, and celery. Boil the okra with a tad of vinegar to cut the slime, when it is almost done draing the water add the onion, stewed tomatoes and celery simmer with salt, pepper and garlic to taste. If you like a smoky taste add a little liquid smoke....Taste pretty yummy to me.