The Heart and Soul of Gumbo

The Heart and Soul of Gumbo : 

The Heart and Soul of Gumbo

What is Gumbo? : 

What is Gumbo? Gumbo is a stew or soup which originated in south Louisiana. It consists primarily of a strong stock, meat or shellfish, a thickener, and the vegetable "holy trinity" of celery, bell peppers, and onion. Gumbo is often categorized by the type of thickener used: the African vegetable okra, the Choctaw spice filé powder, or the French base made of flour and fat, roux. The dish likely derived its name from the native word for either okra (ki ngombo) or filé (kombo).

Origin of Gumbo : 

Origin of Gumbo Gumbo originated in Louisiana in the 18th century and combines ingredients and culinary practices of several cultures, including French, Spanish, West African, and Choctaw.

Louisiana : 

Louisiana

Two Kinds of Gumbo : 

Two Kinds of Gumbo Creole gumbo generally contains shellfish, tomatoes, and a thickener. Cajun gumbo is generally based on a dark brown roux and is spicier, with either shellfish or fowl.

Ingredients : 

Ingredients 3 cloves garlic, minced 2 cups chopped onion 3/4 cup chopped celery 1 pound okra, chopped 1/4 cup butter 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 pound cubed beef stew meat (optional) 8 cups water 1 (16 ounce) can whole tomatoes 1 1/2 teaspoons white sugar 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley 1 sprig fresh thyme 2 bay leaves 1 pinch salt 1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper 1 pinch ground black pepper 1 pound andouille sausage, cut into 1/2 inch pieces 1/2 pound crabmeat, flaked 1 pound medium shrimp - peeled and deveined 1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce file powder

Slide 7: 

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook garlic, onions, celery and okra, stirring constantly until golden brown. Set aside. In a large heavy bottomed stock pot over medium-high heat, combine 1/4 cup of butter and flour. Cook, stirring constantly, until the roux becomes chocolate brown. Stir in the vegetable mixture, and meat. Cook, stirring, until vegetables are tender, and meat is evenly brown. Stir in water, tomatoes and sugar. Season with parsley, thyme, bay leaves, salt, cayenne pepper and black pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 2 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally. Add shrimp, crabmeat and andouille to stock pot. Stir in hot pepper sauce and Worcestershire sauce. Simmer an additional 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove bay leaves, sprinkle with file powder, and serve. Directions

Enjoy! : 

Enjoy! Preparation Time: 4 hours Number of Servings: 10

Assignments : 

Assignments Change the quantity of the ingredients to serve this gumbo recipe to 20 people. Use the Internet to find five interesting facts about Louisiana’s history and culture.

Quiz : 

Quiz When and where did gumbo originate? What cultures are represented by gumbo? What vegetables are in the “holy trinity”? What culture contributed okra? What culture contributed file powder? What culture contributed roux? What are two possible origins of the word “gumbo”? How long does it take to prepare the recipe? What are two kinds of gumbo? Which one is dark brown? Is seafood added at the beginning, middle, or end of cooking?