@MooMaw:
Peas and cornbread. Yum.

gumbo is like sex, its all good, just some is better than others

I'll help by being a taste tester.

I'm not claiming to be Tony Chachere or Emeril Lagasse, but I am from Louisiana. Am I trying to take the upper chef hand, of course not? I like doing it from scratch, but the Kary's and Savoie's jars are just fine. Out of curiosity, is a seafood or an andouille and guinea hen gumbo?

@lola: Right??

That gumbo looks good and sounded like it tasted good!

@Clydepuckett:
Mine is a tiny bit lighter then this . Moomaw you have to take your roux off the fire a little before you think it is a rich brown color . You have to understand even though you moved your skillet over to a cold burner it will still continue to get darker & darker & (burn ) . You have to never stop stirring & you must throw your onions , celery , bell pepper & garlic into the roux & stir quick . This is what cools the grease down so it won't burn . Have your water or chicken stock already boiling & get your roux moved over to that big pot fast as you can & stir so nothing sticks to the bottom . To make a gumbo the color of this picture your roux in the skillet must be lighter in color then what you see in this picture because it will continue to darken even after you put your onion & stuff in . It is also better to take longer to make your roux on a cooler heat then to get your grease to hot & then it will have a burned taste . I would not get the heat any hotter than med on your stove .

Thanks...I did not know this. I have retired my Gumbo recipe...sorry guys...my alter ego of being a Top Chef has been too bruised to recover.

@MooMaw: Listen just because you don't have mud squishing between your toes to get to your pirogue ,doesn't mean you can't make a good roux! Do not give up & if need be I'll teach you if you really want to learn .

In some parts of Louisiana, we throw a heaping spoonful of tater' salad in the gumbo. Say "ugh" all you want. Ha Ha!

@Ronnie: I thought that was the "pizza," quote, cause if you don't know how to cook a gumbo, then God bless.

My roux looks like 5,000 mile motor oil. I like cooking the gumbo with a dark roux sometimes, other times I like a light brown roux. The bottom line is that you have to have the holy trinity ingredients in it. If any of you throw any sort of tomato in it whatsoever, you're cut off.

My roux once mixed with water, should look like a muddy bayou.

Okay @moomaw, you inspired me. I'm going to make the gumbo plunge today but I bought the starter roux. Kary's Kitchen brand? We'll see how this goes.

@abisho1: I was introduced to eating it this way last year by a friend from upstate Louisiana. (Not sure if it's a regional specific thing or just his family liked it that way and happened to be from that part of the state.)It was surprisingly good!