[Sca-cooks] Turkey day odds and ends

[Rosine]

>> I made my first Gumbo using leftover smoked
>> turkey from thanksgiving. It turned out OK. It tasted
>> wonderful, but wasn't as thick as I would have
>> > liked. How long does it take to get chocolate-colored
>> roux? I stirred until I though my arm would fall off, but
>> finally gave up when it was butterscotch colored.
>
> You might have needed a bit more heat- you don't want to
> burn it, but you t4end to want to use your stirring arm for
> other things, too ;-)
>
> Also, you can help gumbo thicken with file powder, and (no $h!t) okra-
> that's why it's in so many gumbo recipes.
>
> Phlip

   My grandma taught me to make Gumbo - her Mammy (yes, she's that old and
NOT politically-correct. Her Mammy was the woman who'd be refer to as
"nursery maid" in Regency novels) showed her how. She taught me that it was
important to use a heavy pan, preferably cast iron, and to not stir the
lard/flour mixture too much - she felt (and my experience agrees) that the
flour browns darker when it's a little dry and allowed to sit still for a
tad longer than we feel is comfortable. That, and she used a spatula
(pancake turner) to do the stirring, using it to scrap a clear path through
the roue as it browned. She added small amounts of bacon grease if things
got too dry and put in the onions and celery at the very last minute, after
the flour had turned nearly black.
   As to Okra... well... her Mammy insisted that it wasn't fit for "fine
folks" and wouldn't let her eat it. So I've never tasted it either! (I guess
when you grow up with one "flavor", the others just aren't as appealing to
try.)


Rosine