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JAMBALAYA & CO.

Gumbo

Gumbo is one of the most famous dishes to result from Creole/Cajun heritage, and every pot of gumbo is different. There's no such thing as a gumbo recipe; every pot is different because of the cook and the aviable ingredients.      The "holy trinity" used extensively in both Cajun and Creole cooking: celery, onions and green bell peppers are the basic vegetables in gumbo. All gumbos use roux: a mixture of equal parts flour and oil cooked together gently. Roux can range in color from white to brown to black, depending on how long it's cooked. The darker the color of the roux, the deeper the flavor. Cajun gumbos tend to use very dark roux, whereas Creole gumbos use a light roux made with butter.      The second thickener in a pot of gumbo can be either okra or filé ("FEE-lay") powder. Okra is a green pod-like vegetable native to Africa. Filé powder is made of ground sassafras leaves, native to the southern U.S. Okra was introduced to Creole households by the African slaves. Filé was introduced to Cajun settlers by the Choctaw Indians who helped the settlers survive in the wilderness. In Africa the word for okra is "ochingombo," which now is "gombo." And the Choctaw word for sassafras? "Kombo."      Okra and filé powder are rarely used in the same batch of gumbo. If using okra, it should be cooked for long enough that it loses its slimy texture. Filé powder, on the other hand, should not be added until the very end of cooking; some people wait even longer and add the filé to each individual bowl of gumbo.      In addition to the 'holy trinity,' the roux, the okra or file powder, and the seasonings, gumbo can be a veritable grab bag of ingredients. The meat in a pot of gumbo can include delights and delicacies from land, sea and air, including sausage (especially andouille and chaurice ), tasso, crawfish, crab, shrimp, oysters, chicken, duck, or alligator.

Gumbo: Chicken & Andouille: Chicken & Andouille Gumbo                   Seafood: Seafood Gumbo                  Turkey & Andouille (Grave Yard): Turkey & Andouille Gumbo                Above pricing is for onsite cooking within 60 miles of Slidell, La. For pricing over 60 miles and/or over 300 people please call or e-mail us. We can also prepair other dishes to go with these dishes.

We can customize all of your food needs; just e-mail or call us for information.

Slidell, Louisiana PH 985-960-2897 Fax 413-803-8037 www.JambalayaCo.com Burt.Kemp@JambalayaCo.com