What is gumbo?
Gumbo, or gombo, is a stew that originated in New Orleans in the United States of America. It comes from a broad cultural mix which borrows know-how and ingredients from Hispanic, African, French, Jamaican and Cajun traditions. It is the Creole dish par excellence.
It is made up of a wide variety of ingredients, and can vary from place to place in Louisiana. Nevertheless, there are almost always a few fundamentals, such as roux, a mixture of butter or oil and flour that is cooked until it turns brown and acts as a binding agent in this dish.
The trinity is also a fundamental part of the gumbo. This is a mixture of chopped vegetables made up of onions, celery stalks and green peppers which is sometimes enriched with garlic, fresh onions or spring onions and chili.
Finally, the main elements of gumbo can be meat, seafood or a mixture of both. The most popular versions are made with shrimp or crayfish, crab meat, sausage called andouille, and chicken.
Another very popular version is the z’herbes gumbo made exclusively from wild herbs and vegetables.
Gumbo is often associated with Mardi Gras during carnival but is also eaten throughout the rest of the year. It’s New Orleans’ most iconic dish.
It may be served as a soup or as a dish in sauce. The consistency is denser in one and more liquid in the other. It is always served with white rice, either as an accompaniment or directly in the same bowl.
Gombo (or gombo) should not be confused with the vegetable, okra, although the dish does generally contain okra, which brings freshness, bitterness and a slightly gelatinous consistency to the dish.
Okra is very popular in Louisiana, as well as in Africa and the Middle East.
What is the origin of gumbo?
The first mention of gumbo dates back to the beginning of the 19th century in culinary manuals published in Louisiana. However, it was not until the end of the ‘70s and ‘80s that it became popular.
With tourism in New Orleans, this dish was universally exported. The success of the television series, Treme, also helped spread its popularity.
The origin of gumbo would seem to be older, and its current form appears to be from the 18th century. With fruits of the labors of slavery, travelling merchants, and the various influences that made up New Orleans, the exact origin of gumbo is difficult to determine.
How to prepare gumbo
The preparation of gumbo is divided into two stages.
The preparation of the broth is like any poultry broth, that is to say by starting a cold, and placing the chicken in water with different herbs and vegetables. In this instance, onion, celery, parsley, tarragon, bay leaf, carrots, garlic, and also thyme, oregano, cumin, pepper and shrimp heads.
The roux is prepared separately by combining fat that can be heated to a very high temperature, and flour. The principle is to cook the flour without stopping stirring until it is perfectly roasted and turns brown. This roux acts as a binder for the gumbo and gives a very pleasant smoky and roasted taste.
By adding the roux to the broth and cooking together, the flour molecules will swell in the broth, and give it a greater density.
The various elements such as vegetables and different meats are cooked separately and gradually integrated into the stew. Each element is added according to its cooking time, with the seafood, whose cooking is the most delicate, being added at the end.
What are the variants?
Variations of gumbo, as in the famous song by Dr John, a popular local artist, are endless. It is a dish that can be adapted to the seasons and to local products.
You can find crab, oysters, crayfish, chicken, various sausages, and pieces of pork, as well as more unusual ingredients such as alligator, squirrel or game.
The main gumbos are Cajun, Creole and z’herbes versions which were once eaten during the Lent period.
Gumbo
Ingredients
For the broth
- 8 cups water
- 1 medium whole chicken
- 1 tablespoon neutral vegetable oil
- 12 oz shrimp shells and heads (keep the flesh for the gumbo)
- 2 yellow onions , cut into strips
- 2 stalks celery , chopped
- 3 sprigs flat-leaf parsley
- 2 leaves tarragon (fresh or dried)
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 carrots , cut into rings
- 10 cloves garlic
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- Salt
For the roux
- 1½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup neutral vegetable oil
For the gumbo
- ½ lb okra (fresh or frozen), cut into ½ inch / 1 cm pieces
- 6 cups broth / roux mixture
- Chicken meat used to prepare the broth
- 2 tablespoons neutral vegetable oil
- 4 spicy Cajun pork sausages (or other pork sausages), cut into ½ inch / 1 cm pieces
- Shrimp meat used for the preparation of the broth
- 9 oz crab meat (or scallops)
- 1 large onion , chopped
- 6 shallots , chopped
- 1 green bell pepper , finely diced
- 3 stalks celery , finely diced
- 6 cloves garlic , chopped
- 3 bay leaves
- 3 tbsp flat leaf parsley , freshly chopped
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 bird’s eye chillies
- ½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
- 1 teaspoon salt
- A few drops Tabasco-type hot pepper sauce
- Long grain white rice , cooked
Equipment
- Heavy-bottomed non-stick skillet
- Tea ball (or small piece of cheesecloth with a very fine mesh)
Instructions
Broth
- Gently remove the skin from the chicken, and cut into 2-4 inch (5 to 10 cm) pieces, breaking the bones in order to cook the marrow.
- In a Dutch oven, heat a tablespoon of neutral vegetable oil over medium heat, and brown the chicken well. Set aside.
- Place the chicken pieces, yellow onions, celery, flat leaf parsley, tarragon, bay leaf, carrots, water, and garlic into a large pot, and bring to a boil.
- Simmer, covered, over medium-low heat for 45 minutes.
- Remove the chicken pieces from the broth, and let them cool.
- Reserve the broth.
- When the chicken has cooled, remove the bones and set aside the meat to add to the gumbo.
- Return the chicken bones to the broth, cover and simmer over low heat, for 2 hours 30 minutes, without stirring.
- Place the dried thyme leaves, oregano, cumin, and pepper into a tea ball, or very fine mesh cheesecloth, and place in the broth.
- Simmer again, covered, for 30 minutes, without stirring.
- Finally, add the shrimp shells and heads, and the salt, and simmer again, covered, over low heat, for 30 minutes, without stirring.
- Drain the broth using a very fine strainer. Let cool.
- Once the broth is cold, skim off as much fat as possible.
Roux
- Place the oil and flour into a heavy-bottomed non-stick skillet (very important) and, using a whisk, combine the 2 ingredients.
- Place the skillet on a medium heat.
- Cook the roux, stirring constantly with the whisk, until a blond color is obtained. Continue to stir until the mixture turns light brown, and then finally a reddish color.
- Remove from the heat and continue to stir for a few minutes as the flour continues to cook.
- Pour this roux into the broth, and mix well with a whisk. Set aside, stirring occasionally during the final preparation of the gumbo.
- If necessary, mix everything in a blender to remove any lumps of cooked flour.
Gumbo
- Rinse the okra before slicing. Do not remove the small white seeds.
- Combine all the spices in a bowl.
- Reheat the chicken broth.
- Place 2 tablespoons of oil into a large non-stick skillet on a medium heat. Add the boneless chicken pieces, and sprinkle with a little of the spice blend. Fry quickly, stirring constantly.
- Add the pieces of sausage, mix well, and cook over medium/high heat for 1 minute.
- Add to the broth.
- In the same pan, after having wiped away the excess oil with a paper towel, sauté the onion, shallots, chili, celery and garlic, then add to the broth.
- Add the bay leaves, the rest of the spice blend and a few drops of Tabasco-type hot pepper sauce.
- Bring to a boil and immediately lower the heat.
- Cover and simmer for 1 hour.
- Add the okra, cover, and cook for 40 minutes or until the mixture becomes sticky and thick.
- Add parsley, crab meat or scallops, cover and cook for 15 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and add the shrimp, mix well, and cover for 2 minutes.
- Serve piping hot, with the sauce, in a deep dish or bowl over a generous portion of long-grain white rice.
Sources
Wikipedia – Gumbo
Southern Foodways
Iberia Chamber
Serious Eats
Esther and Morgan are the two foodies behind Renards Gourmets. They are based in Paris where they develop four-handed recipes and culinary photos.
Lanny Clement says
The omission of indigenous contribution to the evolution of Gumbo is disappointing.
Please visit atlasobscura.com/articles/native-american-gumbo for brief information of indigenous roots of gumbo.