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Gumbo


1978horn

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14 minutes ago, dcbc said:

I've never had an issue with the sausage getting rubbery from simmering for that much time.  Got it from a recipe somewhere at some point. 

I really need to do the homemade stock thing.  Easy enough, but requires that I plan ahead.  Intended to do it last Thanksgiving, but the leftover turkey legs in the freezer ended up being ham bones.  So I made hamstock, which, though good, wasn't going in the gumbo.

 

Also, South Austin mentioned adding a little soy sauce at some point in this thread, which I have started doing.  I'm not sure I notice a difference, but it's just part of my process at this point.

Yep, I learned from my friend in Breaux Bridge to throw in soy sauce and Worcester, about a tablespoon or more each.  It gives it a nice unami kick. 

And this year you absolutely have to take your leftover Thanksgiving turkey carcass and make homemade stock.  You'll thank us.

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11 minutes ago, South Austin said:

Yep, I learned from my friend in Breaux Bridge to throw in soy sauce and Worcester, about a tablespoon or more each.  It gives it a nice unami kick. 

And this year you absolutely have to take your leftover Thanksgiving turkey carcass and make homemade stock.  You'll thank us.

Yep.  That turkey stock is one of my favorite things of the year.  We used to work our church's big T-giving dinner.  At the end of the evening, there would be 20 turkey carcasses.  I would crush down 4-5 of them into one pot, and then make a super-concentrated stock to take home.  Dear God, it was so good.

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1 hour ago, South Austin said:

I didn't use Emeril's recipe for turkey gumbo, but I did use his recipe for turkey stock, and it was damn good.

Is this the recipe you use for the stock?

Ingredients

  • 1 turkey carcass
  • 3 ribs celery, cut into 4-inch pieces
  • 2 medium onions, quartered
  • 4 quarts water, or enough to cover the carcass
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
  • 4 bay leaves

Directions

  • Place the carcass in a large stockpot. Add the celery, onions, water, salt, peppercorns, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium, and simmer, uncovered, for 2 hours, skimming any scum that rises to the surface. Remove from the heat and skim any fat that has risen to the surface. Strain through a large fine-mesh sieve. Reserve any meat that has fallen off the bones and pick off any meat that may still remain on the carcas. Use immediately or store the broth in quart containers in the freezer.

 

https://www.emerils.com/120081/turkey-bone-stock

Edited by dcbc
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6 hours ago, TonyTexas said:

Emeril uses Worcestershire sauce in his recipe. 

 

5 hours ago, Brisketexan said:

Never thought of that.....but it's not a bad idea.

I use it in my gumbo recipe and it’s amazing.  It’s not “my” recipe, but I mix and matched two recipes posted on this thread a long time ago. It’s the best seafood sausage recipe. The other game changer is to pan fry the sausage first. Another poster suggested it. They were correct. 
 

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No pics, but I cooked up some killer gumbo with that homemade stock last night.  I'm sold!  Definitely worth the extra effort.  Put on a stubborn as hell brisket around 9:30 last night.  Just got it off the smoker probe tender at almost 4 p.m.  Eating well this weekend.

Edited by dcbc
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I also simmer for about 3 hours. Too much longer and the chicken gets stringy. I also usually put raw chicken into the gumbo. But if I’m using leftover cooked chicken I can simmer much longer and put in the chicken about 30 minutes before serving. 

And like most big pot meals, no matter how long you simmer, it tastes better the next day.

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I also simmer for about 3 hours. Too much longer and the chicken gets stringy. I also usually put raw chicken into the gumbo. But if I’m using leftover cooked chicken I can simmer much longer and put in the chicken about 30 minutes before serving. 
And like most big pot meals, no matter how long you simmer, it tastes better the next day.

For gumbo, this is extra true. The summer isn’t as important as letting it rest i. The fridge till the next day. I’m not sure why, I just know it’s true.
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For gumbo, this is extra true. The summer isn’t as important as letting it rest i. The fridge till the next day. I’m not sure why, I just know it’s true.

I’ve always assumed it’s better cause all the flavors just integrate more. Gumbo right after a simmer is good, but leftovers are amazing.
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On 10/15/2021 at 8:22 AM, Brisketexan said:

If I simmer chicken too long, it can break down and get a bit stringy.  I've never had that problem with sausage, though -- it just gets tender, and by simmering it in there for a while, the flavor gets into the broth.

And second the recommendation on seafood.  A typical summer seafood gumbo for us would be some fish we caught (trout, reds, etc.), shrimp, and crab.  Make stock with the shrimp shells before hand.  Add the fish and shrimp at the very end of the cook (like 3-5 minutes before you plan on turning the heat off).  Crab, if it's picked already, goes on top at the end.  If it's still in the shell (but cooked -- we always boiled the crab in crab boil beforehand), then toss it in with the shrimp, to heat through.  Oysters go in after you turn the heat off (but make sure you used all the oyster liquor in your stock already). 

Oh, and a few years ago, @Pescado_Rojo told me he had started to toss in a couple of cans of diced tomatoes and green chiles an hour or so before the end.  I've done that, and it's a nice add -- adds just a touch of color and some zing to the broth.

One thing I’ve done the last couple times is make the gumbo like normal, the night before we plan to eat, except leave out the shrimp and save one large cooked chicken thigh. It’s ok to sample some. Then when I reheat it the next day, I throw in the shrimp and the rough-cubed thigh.  

Also on stock, if you’re cooking your bird carcass for a while, throw in a couple tablespoons of some type of vinegar, I use apple cider vinegar.  It helps break down the cartilage and minerals from the bones so you get more of a gelatin.  For shrimp stock, brown the shells/heads a bit before adding the water.  

Edited by Judge Roybeanbag
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1 hour ago, Brisketexan said:

Yes, lobster and snow crab, the traditional bounty of the Breaux Bridge fisherman.

This reminds me of a trip to Denver with my wife from Morgan City where the waiter described their gumbo as a traditional Cajun seafood gumbo with shrimp, oysters and scallops. Scallops? I don’t think I’ve seen Troy on Swamp People eating scallops.

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