So im trying gumbo tonight. Im a spaniard so I never had it.

>>9173249
You gotta use a roux, cook it till you think you've burned it and then a little more. You also need to use the holy trinity; bell peppers(use green, yellow, and red if possible, probably called paprika in Spain), onions, and celery. Dice them up fine and sweat them like you would mirepoix. Another ingredient usually thought of as crucial is filé powder, or ground sassafras leaves. I have no idea if that's available in Spain or not, but you can get away with not using it. Usually it serves as a thickener as well as a seasoning, but your roux should take care of thickening it nicely. You can also add okra if you like it, which should thicken the gumbo further.

Tomatoes are optional and somewhat controversial among people who make gumbo. Some think tomatoes are a nice addition, others wouldn't even consider putting them in. Personally I like them. For additional seasoning, you want to go kind of spicy. Chili powder is a nice level of heat, and you can add a little of your favorite hot sauce as well. Since you're working with Spanish ingredients, a smokey twist would probably be good to do, maybe throw in some kind of smoked Spanish sausage or pork. I don't really know a lot about Spanish food. Don't forget to balance out the heat with an herb or two, parsley and oregano would work well.

>>9173276
...mom????

>>9173278
Nah, I'm just a Southernfag from NC who likes Cajun food and takes notes whenever possible.

>>9173287
whoever you are i highly endorse your advice.
ive made a gumbo and roux from scratch exactly like u described.

god speed OP, listen to this guy's scripture

>>9173249
In making the roux, use equal parts oil and flour. To be on the safe side stir constantly to prevent burning. There's a fine line between perfect and burnt. If it burns, throw it out and start over. It should have a toasted nutty smell and be dark brown. If it smells burnt, it's ruined.

>>9173297
Thanks.
>>9173326
This guy has a point, it probably is possible to cook the roux too much. Still, roux for gumbo is darker than any other roux. I recommend using unsalted butter for the oil.

And don't forget to serve your gumbo over white rice!

OP here, this thread turned out really nice.

I bought some chorizos and am way home.

Ill probably fry bacon until chewy/crisp, then ill fry a few shrimps, just enough to get the flavor, with fish until done. Ill use the bacon fat and oluve oil to make an spiced roux.

Will post when I arrive. I think this gumbo has potential.

for the record filé should be added to the bowl just before consuming. never add it to the pot.

I don't give a shit what you do as long as you pour a bock beer in your gumbo. You can thank me later.

>>9173559
Kys

>>9173541
Hey, that's something I didn't know! I've never been able to get a hold of filé anyway, but I'll add that to my notes.
>>9173559
This is worth a shot I think, but the other things are sill important.

i once met a dude in a bar in louisiana who claimed coarse coffee grounds in the roux was his family's restaurant's secret recipe

i tried it once and it was actually pretty good

>>9173541
This. Ruined mine last time. And don't use a lot at the end because it makes it inedible.

>>9173631
This is interesting. Will the beans soften as they cook?

>>9173509
I've always added my meats like sausage or chicken at the beginning and my shellfish (crab, shrimp, oysters, crayfish, etc.) raw at the end. I think that's pretty standard instead of cooking the shrimp first.

>>9173631

when roux has coffee in it , its called red eye sauce or red eye roux

>>9173649
He said coffee grounds, so not whole beans. Might turn out kind of gritty though.

I've experimented in the past with adding a shot of bourbon whiskey at the beginning, it's the closest thing to a secret ingredient I've ever done.

>>9173674
Coarsely ground coffee to me means the same size as coarsely ground garlic. So my question remains.

>>9173686
coarse like french press coarse

>>9173694
Heard

While we're on this subject, I'm making jambalaya tonight, anything I should add?

Using pork fat as the frying fat
crushed garlic
holy trinity (bell pepper, onion, celery)
Meats are chicken thighs, andouille sausage and shrimp
Crushed tomatoes
I made Cajun seasoning myself: onion power, garlic powder, white pepper, cayenne pepper and red chili flakes, oregano and thyme, and a whole bunch of smoked paprika

And I'm using basmati rice because I find that the texture is better and less starchy and sticky for jambalaya, especially if you rince it first. And I'm using chicken broth as the simmering liquid, and chopped parsley to garnish

you'll fuck it up. Its a pretty hard dish to do without someone telling you how to do it. I'm not sure if they're good youtube tutorials. My grandmother makes it different than how I see it written in recipes at least.

>>9173668
I think OP should keep it standard. Don't try to fuck him up by adding fucking coffee grounds. Try eating a spoonfull mixed in a cup of water. It will be like flavored sand. Even standard red eye country ham gravy uses strong coffee, not grounds. Stop trying to fuck someones OC, 'k?

>>9173276
>yellow and red bell peppers
>celery
>Chili powder
>tomatoes
Don't ever com to Southern Louisiana with that shit


Also this thread is fucked if y'all really think all that shit is needed for gumbo, fuck off or learn it from someone who knows how to make it

-A Cajun

>>9173817
All good except for the celery, I have lived in Southern Louisiana for all my life and have never seen anyone use celery for cooking Cajun food

Also try buying real jamabalya rice, and cook it into the jamabalaya, if it tastes starchy and with a weird texture, you are fucking something up

>>9174046
Oh yeah I'm cooking it into it, just didn't mention the step, gonna throw it in the pan and toast it a bit with everything else then pour the stock in

>>9174109
Yeah, that's a novice mistake a lot of people make who don't have it shown to them, the amount of people that i've seen add the rice in last then stir it up, is too damn high

This guy knew how to cook. Gumbo is the last recipe. Ingredients are written at the end of the episode.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5XXU47q9js

>>9174033
Fuck off, that shit's legit. You sound like an Italian Grandma wailing about tbe fact they didn't use veal in their bolognese.

>>9173276
>>9174033
People who complain about what you put in Gumbo are completly missing the point of Gumbo.

As long as you got the darkened roux and the holy trinity, it's gumbo. Incidentally, Bellpeppers are part of the trinity.

Instead of file powder you can use Okra

>>9174790

Chef Paul knows the deal, and I find his approach offers the most flavor.

Keys to making a good gumbo great...

- Brown your proteins first, like Chef Paul, and get a nice sear on the meat. That caramelization from the meat adds flavor to the entire gumbo once you start to simmer it.

- Add oil, if needed, but use the fats from the browned proteins to make your roux. I see a lot of recipes that call for making the roux first, but you just don't get the same flavor, nor can you brown your proteins the same way if you add them after the roux is already made.

- Season your roux flour before you make your roux, just like chef Paul.

- Use stock to top up your gumbo. Never water.

Spanish dude, I'd recommend going with some of your Spanish sausage, chicken, and some nice shrimp for your effort. Good luck.

Seasonings: Cayenne pepper, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, just a pinch of oregano and thyme, and salt to taste, of course.

Good luck, dude.

>>9175192
I love that he understood building flavors through a logical progression of steps, never wasting collateral byproducts other people throw out or omit. His use of multiple timed additions of the same ingredients to affect taste and texture is masterful nuance. I spent a couple hours watching gumbo videos today, and I think Chef Paul is the person you want to learn from. A couple other people I found had some nice tricks or well-spoken arguments for deviations from his traditional approach, but they were all missing something crucial in their techniques.

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>>9174046
trinity definitely goes in gumbo.
picture is just the stuff for the seafood stock...

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>>9176150
this picture is after the roux was as dark as i wanted, but before the stock and everything else.

>>9174046
>>9174033
ITT: people who claim to be from Cajun country and are retards who don't know that celery is part of the trinity

what the fuck do you think is in it anyway if not celery

>>9174865
>Instead of file powder you can use Okra
C-can I use both?

>>9176558
if you use okra you don't need file. the longer you cook a roux the less thickening power it has. okra supplements that nicely and is a traditional ingredient/

>>9174033
>>9174046
The holy trinity has celery. You are an idiot.

>>9174033
>Also this thread is fucked if y'all really think all that shit is needed for gumbo, fuck off or learn it from someone who knows how to make it
>-A Cajun

You must be one of those authentic "Cajuns" that uses frozen and canned shit to make your authentic "Cajun" food.

What happened to OP? I wanted to see him finish it up. I wonder if he got shitfaced and passed out?

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>>9174033
>celery isn't part of the trinity

Fuck off shitposter :^)

t. Actual cajun who doesn't like tomatoes in gumbo but moreso dislikes imposters who don't know basics of real cajun cooking

>>9174865
>People who complain about what you put in Gumbo are completly missing the point of Gumbo.
Exactly, gumbo can include any critter so long as it walks, crawls, slithers, swims, or flies.