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 BBS: The GWE BBS [ASV] [CIN]
Date: 02-13-93 (12:42)             Number: 107
From: VIDEO #92 @6293*1            Refer#: NONE
  To: ALL                           Recvd: YES 
Subj: Southern Cooking               Conf: (37) Home Cooki
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 I guess I should start ith the most popular southern dish, gumbo.
First thing is to make the roux (roo). "Gumbo" (from a southern book I
have) comes from the African "kingombo" or "ngombo" meaning okra, used
to thicken the dish. I personally dislike okra in gumbo. Louisiana's
Choctaw Indians discovered using file` for that same purpose. You can
put just about anything you want in gumbo. The recipes are endless.

   ROUX

There are several different methods. One way is equal parts flour and
just about any type of fat, cooked very slowly in a heavy pot
(important). You stir constantly till it's a dark brown, but watch that
it doesn't burn. Chopped veggies are quickly added to arrest the
browning. The liquid, hot or cold, next.
 Another way is to use less fat.
 You can also place 2 parts flour to 1 part fat in a flat pan and cook
 in a preheated 275 oven until caramel color, about 2 hours, stirring 4
 times during cooking. When cool, prop the pan for the fat to drain for
 skimming off.
 Fat-free roux: Put 1 inch of flour in a cast iron skillet in a 400
 degree oven until dark brown, stirring occasionally with a wooden
 spoon.

Roux may be made ahead and refrigerated or frozen, tightly covered, for
long periods of time.

 There are also very good roux mixes on the market, though I don't know
 if they're available up here. One is Savoie's (Savwa) in a jar. Another
 is Mama Papaul's, dry in a bag. All you do with these is stir them into
 the water.

When you're ready, add chopped onions, garlic(lots of everything),
finely chopped parsely,chopped bell pepper(optional),chopped
celery(optional), salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, and some sort of meat or
seafood. I personally love smoked pork sausage and chicken gumbo, but
there's no good sausage up here. Just doesn't taste the same without it.
Seafood gumbo is great with shrimp, crab meat, and oysters. Oh, and pour
in plenty of water to make a dark souplike consistency. Slowly boil for
about 2 hours.
 In the last 15 minutes add chopped green onions.
 When done, remove from fire and add file`, but not much, too much will
 make it slimy. Serve over hot rice in large bowls.
For the seafood gumbo, add the shrimp and crab meat in the last
20 minutes, and the oysters in the last 15 minutes.

Mmmmm, good!

Oh, and it freezes really well too.