How Roux You Doin’: The Trick To Making Gumbo

Contraband, Lagniappe 2 Comments 1387 Views October 22, 2020 The Cajun Redhead
22 Oct. 2020
Comments: 2
Views: 1387
By: The Cajun Redhead

I’m well aware the headline is a bit cheesy. However, I haven’t made gumbo very many times.

The truth is that some really smart people started making instant roux and it’s sold in several grocery stores. My mom uses it now. My boyfriend thinks this is lazy. But honestly, is it any lazier than packaged marinara sauce or hamburger meat already made into patties?

What Is Roux?

Roux is the base for gumbo and stew. Yes, as the song says, you can also use filé, but I don’t have any experience with it. My grandmother is from Mamou where they have the traditional Cajun community gumbo as part of their infamous “Country Mardi Gras,” and I have never once seen or heard of filé outside of the song “Jambalaya (On the Bayou)” by Hank Williams. The flour in the roux are simply thickeners to make the dish you are serving have more substance.

Literally, roux is flour and fat cooked together to thicken sauces. It can be made using oil and flour. The fat can also be bacon grease or whatever drippings come off the mean used in the gumbo. For example, if you’re making gumbo using leftover turkey or chicken, you can take the drippings in the pan and just mix that with that the flour in the pan. Of course, this being America, commercialism has brought in instant roux.

Depending upon the type of gumbo, you can buy it in either dark or light. Color is a major factor in deciding which roux you need. Lighter roux aren’t as fatty or flavorful. In fact, my mom has sometimes just made a light roux by putting flour in the oven to brown a bit. Dark roux is used for most gumbos and is fattier. Light roux can also be made using flour and milk to help thicken sauces.

Roux is not isolated to Cajun cuisine. My mom uses it when making stew and gravy. However, she is. a home economics teacher and knows more about food.

What Is Filé?

Roux is a mixture of flour and fat. It can be used as a base and thickening agent for gravy, sauce, and gumbo. Filé is seasoning powder made of sassafras leaves. It can also be used as a thickening agent for gumbo, but tends to add an earthy flavor.

Stock or Broth?

Before you bought canned (or otherwise packaged) broth or stock, it had to be made. In fact, it gave the gumbo its flavor. Originally, things like chicken, shrimp, and other traditional means weren’t used in gumbos, because people made gumbo and stews out of whatever animals could be caught. It’s a little icky to think about in modern terms.

Stock is more flavorful as a base when added to the roux or filé. Stock is very easy to make. It’s also known as bone broth. Very simply, the bones and leftover meat are boiled with water, a celery stock, and maybe a couple other veggies. Now, you can use an instant pot or crock pot. I’m sure hundreds of years ago, this was done using an iron pot. The resulting stock is almost like a jelly. But it also helps to keep back a portion for when someone is sick as it contains protein.

The basic point of gumbo was to literally put everything into the pot, cook it, and serve it. The rice was added as extra, because it stretched out the gumbo and made it more filling.

So, bon appetit!

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