Too hot for Gumbo

Frank from Houma

But it's not too hot to get ready for the fall. Stopped at our local farmers market and picked up some okra and tomatoes.

The ingredients

7-8 pounds of okra
2 pounds of tomatoes
4 large onions
1/2 cup vinegar
little olive oli



You can simply chop the onions and okra or my preference is to run them through a food processor. My mother-in-law used to run the okra through her meat grinder. At the end of the day all the veggies will be cooked down to a thick consistency. If you chop instead of grinding or processing it just takes a little longer to get the desired result.

Onions in the pot with just a little olive oil. Oops a little okra snuck in.



Okra in the pot



Tomatoes in the pot - these had a little bit of a tough skin. should have par boiled and peeled but didn't.



Put the lid on the pot on low. I put the lid on at 10:00 and stirred every half hour or so. Shut the pot down six hours later.



Added a 1/4 cup vinegar early on to cut the slime (don't really need the vinegar - the tomatoes actually cut the slime but I put it anyways because my MIL did). Waiting for the smothered okra to cool a little before packing away in the freezer for some fall gumbos. The two ways I like it is Chicken/Okra gumbo and Shrimp/Okra gumbo. Make other gumbos but don't use okra in them.

There are no "chunks" of okra left when complete. If you like some "chunks" in your gumbo add them the day you make the gumbo. You could add lots of other seasonings when smothering the okra if you wanted too - I add them when making the gumbo. If you use smothered okra, you only need a very small roux.

Got gettum Angie.

BamaFan

Interesting Frank, we cook okra and tomatoes as a side dish here in Bama. Never would have thought to use that type mixture in a gumbo. We do use the okra, onions and tomatoes but in a chunky style when we make gumbo.

Chef in the Making

It is not only to hot for gumbo it is to hot to cook here in Ocean Pines with the temp near 100.

Eggtucky

Sorry guys..but I have to disagree...it's never too hot for gumbo!! :woohoo: :woohoo: I'm with bama..I use okra but cut up into chunks..still..flavor is flavor I spose...good lookin stuff Frank!

FlaPoolman

Looks great Frank but I need a little help here. Wife makes a good Jambalaya and an ok gumbo. The best we had was of course in New Orleans. Is what your making just for a roux, or the main staple for the future gumbo. I'm lost on this but want to pass on to the wife.
Thanks for any help.

Frank from Houma

I put a few chunks in when I actually make the gumbo - this is just prep work for later. I like to do this when the okra is small and tender. The neat thing about gumbos is that they are all different.

Frank from Houma

With a little humility in the air too I bet.

Frank from Houma

Actually we're having gumbo tonight (pulled out of the freezer) while watching the tigers play a little gorilla ball. :woohoo:

Frank from Houma

I'll make a small roux but don't really need one for consistency - I just like the flavor the roux adds. Roughly speaking I'll make the small roux add

2 bunches of green onions chopped
1/4 cup chopped garlic
1 cup celery chopped fine
two quarts of the smothered okra
2-3 quarts of chicken stock
10 chicken thighs

Brown the roux (we like it dark) add the onions, garlic, and celery and cook them a while. Brown the thighs in the pot with the roux by pushing the roux on the side. Then start adding the smothered okra and chicken stock. Adjust the quants on the fly for the desired consistency.

Substitute Shrimp and shrimp stock for the chicken.

Celtic Wolf

When you are cooking outside it's never too hot..

Bout the only thing I cooked on my indoor stove is bacon and eggs. Only cause I was too lazy to fire up my egg.

Ohhh and I heated up some water for ice tea.

Looks good.

Eggtucky

I struggle with the roux...as memory recalls the roux in deep south Louisiana is very dark.. I get mine about the shade of peanut butter..maybe a lil darker and it quits getting dark..grrr.. I use oil and flour to start the roux..am I missin something??

wallytwotoes

I follow my hero's advise. (That would be Justin Wilson). You has one, two, and three can rouxs. A one can roux jes gets the edge of dat flour, a two can roux is light tan, a three can roux is jes right for strong flavored dishes.

Frank from Houma

Rouxs will vary in darkness. Peanut butter is nice. If you want it darker, turn up the heat and have a bunch of onions ready. When it gets to the color you like, throw in the onions. The darker the roux the nutier the flavor. If it starts to burn - toss it and start over.