[Sca-cooks] Re: File Seasoning

[Darren Gasser]

Avraham haRofeh of Sudentur wrote:
> I'm told, by those who ought to know, that authentic gumbo uses
> EITHER okra OR file', never both. The darker you cook your roux (it's
> a French word, you know), the less thickening power it has, and
> therefore the more of it you need. I understand the tradtional gumbo
> roux is "brick" in color, and has about a fifth the thickening power
> of a blond roux.

Thanks, all, for the wonderful perspectives on one of my favorite foods.

As a gumbophilic, I have come to believe heartily in Emeril's rule of thumb
on roux color matching the meat.  Blonde for fish and shellfish gumbos, dark
chocolate for duck or game, and somewhere in between for chicken or pork.

In my travels through Southern Louisiana, it seems to me that gumbo is like
barbeque -- every good cook in every town has their own version.  As best I
can tell, there is no One True Gumbo, and that's just fine by me.

-Lorenz