Attn Southern DU Chefs and Cooks - Gumbo question

[Taverner]

Would it be right and proper of me to thicken my gumbo with okra - or should I thicken it with flour?

[Shell Beau]

1. Is it too runny? Gumbo isn't supposed to be thick!

Just pour it over some rice! Mmmm!

[jus_the_facts]

2. Okra....

...or as I've always called it...OKRY! :D

[El Fuego]

3. It's not gumbo without okra!

[Shell Beau]

4. That is very true!!

But okra wouldn't really thicken it, just make it more chunky I guess. :shrug: Mmmm gumbo!!! :9

[Taverner]

8. It actually does thicken it a lil

Try it with and without sometime - the thick juices (I will not call it slime) thicken it a little - with the effect of cornstarch.

[Maddy McCall]

5. Okra...

You have to have Okra in it. And you can serve it over a little scoop of rice.

Yum.

[Midlodemocrat]

6. Stop cooking and get back to forming your foundation.

:hide:

[Taverner]

9. Y'know I think we need a graphic for that one

:evilgrin:

[XemaSab]

7. I had gumbo for breakfast

YUMMAH!

[Tyrone Slothrop]

10. You're supposed to use file (FEE-lay) powder

Traditionally, I think.

It's the dried up leaves of a sassafras plant. Thickens and seasons. Add right before serving.

[Taverner]

11. Hmmmm how do I get some of this file powder?

And what does it taste like? Is it bitter like Bay Leaf?

[Tyrone Slothrop]

12. You know, I've only tasted it in gumbo

I've never sampled it on its own before.

You can usually buy it in stores. Especially a fish market or southern-y type specialty store. I guess I'm not so sure about "regular" grocery stores. I live in NYC, and we don't really have "regular" grocery stores too much.

On edit: From The Spice House

File Powder
Gumbo File Powder, Powdered Sassafras Leaves
Gumbo file powder is a necessity for cooking authentic Cajun cuisine. Quite simply, gumbo file powder is the powdered leaves of the sassafras tree. When ground, they smell somewhat like eucalyptus or juicy fruit gum.

Long before the use of file powder for Creole and Cajun cooking, American Indians pounded sassafras leaves into a powder and added them to soups and stews. In addition to contributing an unusual flavor, the powder also acts as a thickener when added to liquid.

[DemoTex]

13. Most grocery stores carry file.

But don't use file AND okra. Also, you have to be very careful if you use okra or it will end up very stringy. I usually use file.

You can order Zaterain's file here:

http://www.cajunshoppe.com/zatarains.htm

[ragin_acadian]

14. try Wonderflour,

it doesn't clump up when you drop it in an already cooking pot of Gumbo.

[fishnfla]

15. you cant add flour at the end, can ya?

I mean, the roux starts the whole show.

One thing I have found: after the roux as base, anything you add should be room temp or hot (like stock) or your roux will separate and your gumbo will be gloopy

I had some fantastic Duck and andoullie gumbo at Emeril's over in orlando, I noticed that most ingredients are cooked before they are tossed in there ( sausage and veggies are sauteed)

Seafood does not have to be pre-cooked though.

I love Gumbo. A dish of many hats. Some folks even swear by tomatoes in it.

[Taverner]

16. Yes, nothing like gumbo. I will work for gumbo ;)

Seriously, I don't think I've ever had bad gumbo, just different gumbo.

Tomato base gumbo is not so bad, and I've made a really good duck and turkey gumbo before (secret trick - use a precooked chinese duck. The spices give it a whole different flavor.)

[Maddy McCall]

17. No, you can't.

Talk about fucking up a good thing.

Anyway, gumbo's supposed to be brothy, not creamy. Wonder why anyone would want thick gumbo?

I use okra in mine, and then sit the file on the table, so that people who want it can sprinkle it on their own bowl. I personally don't like the taste of file, so I don't add it to the pot.

The okra will thicken it.

Hell, you can't have gumbo without okra, because, translated from African Bantu to English, gumbo = okra.

[Lisa]

18. if you want to cheat on the thickener, use a pinch of tapioca

(unsweetened)

But if there's rice (and okra) in there, it's generally thick enough on its own. (I can't always get okra up here in Canada, though grocers sometimes have it in frozen form. I've heard that young milkweed pods can be substituted, but I've never had the guts to try this! It's even harder to find commercial file powder in most retail outlets, but my family's from extreme southern Ontario, where it's possible to find sassafras trees in warm microclimates.)