WHAT'S COOKIN (Gumbo) step 2 of 3

When the slaves arrived in American to work on the plantations, they had to create their own dishes from the leftovers that their masters didn’t eat and fish pulled from the streams to complete there dinner which is what we call seafood Gumbo.

Granny Breaux recipe also has a seafood stock. Let call it step 2.


BASIC FISH OR SEAFOOD STOCK: this is best prepared ahead of time. When making the stock, always boil the discards shells for 12 to 36 hours, depending on your schedule, Add shells from crabs, shrimp, and occasionally lobster to a pot of boiling water for stock, remove and strain the broth to remove the solids. Return the liquid to the pot and boil to reduce until very concentrated. The volume will be determined by the amount of time you have to devote to the task, but I always try to reduce it to about 1/4 the original volume. The resulting stock has concentrated flavor and can be reconstituted with water to meet the need. Freezes well

WHAT COOKIN (Gumbo) step 1 of 3

To make a great Gumbo you need to know how to make the roux it is the base for all Gumbo’s. Let call it step 1.

The Basic Roux
The fat used in roux may be butter, shortening, lard, oil, or even bacon drippings. Combine fat with an equal amount of flour, 1/2 cup of each will make a good amount and any excess can be stored in the refrigerator. Melt the fat in a black skillet over low heat. When warm and fluid, sprinkle the flour in a little at a time, stirring. Stir constantly until brown (this may take 20 to 30 minutes); immediately remove from heat continue stirring until it has cooled down a bit and there's no risk of burning, if black specks appear in the roux, it has burned and you'll have throw it out and start over again.