Gumbo w/pics

[MartinB]

I think if you made roux all the time you can make it in 4 minutes, but for us mere mortals I'm not risking it. I probably only get mine a medium brown but I find it's delicious. It's interesting to me that people actually from the area are way more willing to take shortcuts with store bought roux and pre-packaged trinity, etc. It's probably because it's food they are more used to eating regularly. For me, it's more of a special occasion. It's something I grew up with because my grandmother made it. I'm from Beaumont, TX which is just kind of Louisiana adjacent. Close enough to get boudin on the side of the road, I guess, but not really Cajun. So my idea of authentic is not going to be someone else's and is probably flat wrong. I've had people berate me for not using okra. On the other extreme, I've had "gumbo" from around here in North Texas where they didn't even use roux.

Ive been served stuff passed off as gumbo that was mulligan stew. I dont get it personally....its simple...how can people mess it up? Even chefs....dont know what it should be like.

I use store bought roux all the time. Its just browned flour and oil...not magic pixie dust. I dont grow my own onions, raise my own chicken, make my own andouille, make my own chicken broth, etc, so i got no hangups about it.

I was in NYC last weekend cause my son that goes to school there had touch of pneumonia, so i cooked for 3 days for him....funny...no roux in store there..go figure..had to make it. Lighting was poor over stove in his apartment...came out darker than i like for chicken andouille gumbo....like a hershey bar....but was good. He prefers it that way.... I like it that way for seafood gumbo and smoked duck, but not chicken.