Cookin' with Uncle Marv- Gumbo Addition

I've only been to New Orleans once but I've been in love ever since!  Actually I've spent more time south of New Orleans in Plaquemines Parish, a thin finger of land unlucky enough to be sandwiched between the Mississippi and the bayou.  Everything bad seems to happen to Plaquemines Parish! It's first in line to get pounded by hurricanes and soiled by oil spills.  I was there at Thanksgiving not long after Miss Katrina washed away cemeteries, beached fishing boats and parked refrigerators in trees.  We were working on the final touches of a new home that was already occupied and as we worked, the homeowner and her mom labored as well.  The meal they made had no turkey, no stuffing, or cranberries. Instead their stove was covered with gumbo, red beans and rice, and sweet potato pie.  It was torture being ten feet from that kitchen all day and smelling those bubbling pots.   And it was painful knowing that I wouldn't be there to get a bowl of that gumbo simmering on the stove.  This meal won't do that dinner in Palquemines justice but it was fun!

Step #1- Shop

Most legit Cajuns would probably take one bite of my gumbo, put down their spoon and walk out. Make no mistake, this is Yankee gumbo; in other words perfect for the ninety five percent of us who don't drink chicory coffee.  The two glaring omissions from this recipe are shrimp and file' powder. Shrimp because I have "the 'lergics" to seafood and file' powder because its impossible to get (file' powder is the powdered leaves of the sassafras tree used as a thickener). Also while many recipes call for chicken and sausage to compliment the shrimp we went double sausage because well, sausage is just better than chicken right?  The only things you need that probably aren't already in your pantry are sausage and okra.  Outside of the south okra will only be available in your local frozen food section (note: if you are thinking about not using okra please go read Giada's blog).  The sausage on the other hand, must be Anduullie and if it's made fresh, you're in luck.  If you have a local butcher or cutter that makes it, spend the money. If not, buy the best one in your local market as I did.

Step #2- Drink 

This step should not be taken lightly. Drinking in the kitchen is an essential part of the cooking experience.  When possible try to match your beverage to the meal; wine for Italian food and beer for the grill. Gumbo would logically call for a Hurricane which probably wouldn't be wise in the kitchen, so we went with Crispin Cider(shout out to Colfax, CA) with a shot of bourbon.  Music is also always included in every Cookin' with Uncle Marv episode.  You can use the same rule when picking music as with beverages.  We started out with some Buckwheat Zydeco and settled on Kings of Leon on Spotify.
                                                                                                        
Step #3- The Roux

Now that you have what you need and the right mood is set in the kitchen, it's time to cook.  First make sure you have a good pot; a Dutch Oven is the preferred vessel if you have one. Next, cut up and brown your sausage, making sure the bottom of your pot forms a nice layer of brown goodness. This is the basis of your roux.  A roux is basically a mix of fat and flour that along with the sausage fonde and a little beef broth you reduce slowly into a dark chocolate pudding look- a-like.

Step #4- The Rest

Once your roux is ready, throw in as many chopped onions, celery and peppers as your heart desires.  Let that soften and brown slightly and then add okra, tomatoes, hot sauce, lots of beef broth and spices (there are a lot of good recipes online so I won't bore you with the details). Then turn down the heat and wait.






Step #5- Drink

That's because you won't have much else to do for the next hour besides occasionally stirring the pot and having hunger pangs.  At this point your work is done and it's time for the gumbo to do its job. Your only task besides having another Crispin is to add back in the sausage and some green onions about a half hour before you eat.  Make sure you don't take your creation off simmer for at least an hour.  If you can wait longer do, it's worth it!

Step #6- Enjoy

There is a saying in Eastern Kentucky that goes something like this; "it's so good you can't sit still to eat it".  I think it means your eating something that is so tasty that each time you take a bite you feel like jumping up and down.  You may well have that same reaction as you fill your bowl with rice and gumbo and take your first bite.  Its gooey, heavy, smokey, spicy, wonderful goodness within your grasp!  Make sure you have some Tabasco around to up the kick factor should you desire.


Be careful as you eat your gumbo! You may find yourself transported to a little town on the bayou on a sticky summer evening with frogs croaking in the swamps and bugs dying in the zapper.  There may be music, assuredly some booze, and craw fish cooking in a tin can on the fire. Enjoy!