Gumbo Fever

Of all the dishes in the realm of Louisiana cooking, gumbo is the most famous and the most popular. Gumbo crosses all class barriers, appearing on the tables of the poor as well as the wealthy. Although ingredients might vary greatly from one cook to the next, and from one part of the state to another, a steaming bowl of fragrant gumbo is one of life’s cherished pleasures. Gumbo is as emblematic of Louisiana as chili is of Texas.

Gumbo is gumbo no matter how you decide to cook it. There are many ways to cook this Cajun dish whether it is from the surf or the turf; it makes your taste buds go wild. Even if meat isn’t your thing there is a gumbo for you and it is an herb and vegetable gumbo that will still “knock your socks off.”

Chicken and sausage gumbo is a one of the more popular gumbo dishes, because chicken and sausage are more readily available and less expensive than seafood. Cajun cooking has what you call Andouille sausage, which is a smoke sausage made from pork and garlic and is generally used in this gumbo dish. For chicken, usually boneless white or dark meat is used to avoid a greasy flavor. Chicken broth is used in chicken and sausage gumbo as the base flavor. Sautéed onions, red bell peppers, celery and garlic are added to the broth with salt and cayenne pepper among other seasonings to flavor. The broth is thickened with an okra puree, roux, a paste of butter or oil and flour.

Seafood gumbo can be made using shrimp, crab, crawfish, fish, oysters or a combination of these. Seafood gumbo is made in a seafood stock from shrimp, crab or fish. The signature vegetables, onions, celery and bell peppers, are sautéed and added to the broth. Seafood gumbo can be thickened with roux, but the consistency is based on preference.

Gumbo herbs and vegetables is gumbo made with vegetables only. Gumbo herbs and vegetables contain a variety of greens-like spinach, collards, mustard, chard, turnips, cabbage, parsley or scallions, in addition to the onions, bell peppers, celery and garlic. Since it is vegetable-based, an okra puree can be used to thicken the vegetable stock.

No matter how you stack it gumbo can satisfy just about anyone whether its land creatures, sea creatures or from God’s green earth there is a gumbo for you.