August 16, 20241 yr 26 minutes ago, dcbc said: My opinion. Oven roux is superior in flavor to stove-top roux. The fact that it's more hands-off is a plus, but in my experience, it is in no way a time-saver. If anything, it takes between 30 minutes to an hour longer for me to do an oven-roux than it does to do a stove-top roux. Oh, totally. It adds time to the process. I can plan around that. Plus, I'm notorious for not getting my shit in order as I'm cooking ("mise en place") so a little more runway helps me not screw things up.
August 16, 20241 yr Just had this batch after letting it sit in the fridge for a day. Solid effort. /pats self on back
August 17, 20241 yr 9 hours ago, hornmpa96 said: She would never put potato salad in red beans. Nutria?
August 17, 20241 yr According to aforementioned coworker, oven-roux is very common. So not in the non-traditional camp. My opinion. Oven roux is superior in flavor to stove-top roux. The fact that it's more hands-off is a plus, but in my experience, it is in no way a time-saver. If anything, it takes between 30 minutes to an hour longer for me to do an oven-roux than it does to do a stove-top roux. In the end, I do it because I find it to be noticeably better. The ease of doing it in advance to save time the day of the cook is great too. Edited to add that I'm not a person that's going to do something simply because it's traditional. My gumbo recipe has evolved over the years (entirely due to this thread) and when I try something new, the only thing that will cause me to add it to the official recipe is if it (1) makes the gumbo noticeably better and (2) if it's not a pain in the ass either in effort or time involved versus the level of improvement. The biggest flavor level-ups over the years for me have been homemade stock and oven roux. So I’ve never tried the oven roux because when I watched Alton brown it looked like it just took forever. It looked like one of his science guy projects. If’n you say it makes a big difference in flavor I’ll have to try it. Have you posted your stock receipt? Is it a seafood or bird focused stock or whatever you got?Have you tried the oven roux in other dishes like an etoufee? Generally when I get the hankering for Louisiana food I’m making a shrimp etoufee rather than gumbo.
August 17, 20241 yr Oven roux takes for fucking ever. I get a good base color in the oven and then go stove top to fine tune. Still takes forever.
August 17, 20241 yr 13 minutes ago, Texzilla588 said: So I’ve never tried the oven roux because when I watched Alton brown it looked like it just took forever. It looked like one of his science guy projects. If’n you say it makes a big difference in flavor I’ll have to try it. Have you posted your stock recipie. Is it a seafood or bird focused stock or whatever you got? Roux color varies between gumbo and seafood gumbo. Have you tried the oven roux in other dishes like an etoufee? Generally when I get the hankering for Louisiana food I’m making a shrimp etoufee rather than gumbo. It's noticeably better. It's the Emeril easy stock @South Austin posted upthread and I reposted. I can post it again, but it's way upthread if not. This is the only roux I regularly make other than the very quick one for enchilada gravy. I rarely make other Cajun dishes. Probably one etouffe and a dirty rice in 20 years. Edited August 17, 20241 yr by dcbc
August 17, 20241 yr 22 hours ago, jimmyjazz said: OK, I'm over my skis here, but I am willing to learn. (Hey to Winger & Ziskey.) I know the difference between Creole & Cajun jambalaya (tomatoes). Same for gumbo or is it something else? I think tomato is also the primary difference for gumbo, which tends to mean Cajun is also a darker, richer roux. I think there is also a tendency (but, not a hard rule) for Cajun to less likely have okra. And, for me, but I don't think actually accurate, I tend to associate Creole as seafood (with tomato and okra) and Cajun as chicken and andouille (with a dark, no tomato, roux).
August 17, 20241 yr My étouffée roux is very blond by comparison so no point really in doing it in the oven. No reason you can’t, of course, but no reason you should either.
August 17, 20241 yr I think tomato is also the primary difference for gumbo, which tends to mean Cajun is also a darker, richer roux. I think there is also a tendency (but, not a hard rule) for Cajun to less likely have okra. And, for me, but I don't think actually accurate, I tend to associate Creole as seafood (with tomato and okra) and Cajun as chicken and andouille (with a dark, no tomato, roux).My career mentor grew up in New Orleans in a blue collar section just outside the quarter and lived and loved everything about the city and Louisiana. Irish-Cajun and he said the old definitions really hadnt held in years; that family foodways and where you grew up had more to do with it now. His mother put tomatoes in gumbo but not okra; they were sporting family so ut depended on what his dad hunted and fished or what was cheap on the docks. He used the old joke to define it, like what’s the difference in pasta and macaroni? About eight bucks. And it applies to Cajun and Creole, rustic vs higher end, yada yada. He made killer etouffee, gumbo, red beans, etc. at Thanksgiving he’d fry turkeys and you’d get your appointment. He’d give you a great fried turkey, crawfish dressing, shrimp remoulade, and a bourbon bread pudding with “vanilla gravy”. Good times.
August 17, 20241 yr <--- Native Shreveporter here. Lots of family from Baton Rouge on down (& a great uncle that was even on the cover of a Justin Wilson comedy album). I do slimers (Okra) in my Gumbo however I can easily see leaving that out. Regarding oven roux, does it take consistent attention or is it a "fire & forget" thing? As to Etouffe', that needs to be my next mastery & of course that starts with attempts & a sufficient # of fails. Does anyone have a go-to recipe for that? Should we get a totally separte thread on that topic?
August 17, 20241 yr 6 minutes ago, ROFL BOX said: Regarding oven roux, does it take consistent attention or is it a "fire & forget" thing? Stir about every 20 minutes. By recollection it takes ~ an hour to get fairly dark. Look up the Alton Brown recipe. (I don't think he came up with the idea, he just promoted it.)
August 17, 20241 yr 2 hours ago, ROFL BOX said: <--- Native Shreveporter here. Lots of family from Baton Rouge on down (& a great uncle that was even on the cover of a Justin Wilson comedy album). I do slimers (Okra) in my Gumbo however I can easily see leaving that out. Regarding oven roux, does it take consistent attention or is it a "fire & forget" thing? As to Etouffe', that needs to be my next mastery & of course that starts with attempts & a sufficient # of fails. Does anyone have a go-to recipe for that? Should we get a totally separte thread on that topic? 2 hours ago, jimmyjazz said: Stir about every 20 minutes. By recollection it takes ~ an hour to get fairly dark. Look up the Alton Brown recipe. (I don't think he came up with the idea, he just promoted it.) Start the roux on the stovetop in a cast iron pan while the oven preheats to 350F. Put pan in oven and stir every 20 minutes until done. Definitely not hands off, but not a constant hands-on like doing it on the stove top. If I didn't think the flavor was better, I'd just do it on the stove top. For me, it takes at least 2--2.5 hours to hit that dark chocolate color. Edited August 17, 20241 yr by dcbc
August 18, 20241 yr As to Etouffe', that needs to be my next mastery & of course that starts with attempts & a sufficient # of fails. Does anyone have a go-to recipe for that? Should we get a totally separte thread on that topic?I’m a SETX girl, so I love treebeards. not really Nola style, definitely not bayou style, but it’s my favorite!TREEBEARDS’ SHRIMP ETOUFFEEThis butter-based dish is loaded with vegetables and shrimp in a sauce lightly accented with cayenne pepper.1 cup butter2 2/3 cups celery, chopped into ½ - inch pieces1 bell pepper, chopped into ½ - inch pieces1 ¼ teaspoons salt1/8 rounded teaspoon cayenne pepper¾ scant teaspoon black pepper¾ scant teaspoon garlic powder¾ scant teaspoon thyme2 cups boiling water mixed with 1 teaspoon shrimp base*1/8 teaspoon liquid crab boil½ teaspoon hot sauce4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped4 teaspoons tomato paste2 pounds Treebeards’ shrimp In heavy 5-quart Dutch oven or saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Add celery, onions and bell pepper. Stirring occasionally, cook until vegetables are soft; about 20 to 25 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix spices, shrimp base broth, crab boil, hot sauce and Worcestershire sauce. Set aside. When vegetables are soft, add flour and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add spice mixture; continue to cook for 5 minutes more. Stir in green onions, parsley and tomato paste and simmer until vegetables are tender. Add shrimp and cook only until shrimp are heated through. Serve over hot rice. SHRIMP BASE A few recipes in this book call for shrimp base. It can be found in Asian grocery stores or in gourmet sections of larger grocery stores. However, if you cannot find this ingredient, do not omit it from the recipe. Instead, follow these instructions for dry boiling the shrimp to produce the same results. Then use the drippings as indicated below, and then shrimp to replace the Treebeards Shrimp recipe. Vegetable or olive oil¼ teaspoon salt¼ teaspoon black pepper¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper¼ teaspoon garlic powder1 pound peeled shrimp2 tablespoons vinegar In a large, heavy skillet over medium heat, add just enough oil to cover bottom of skillet, and heat until oil is hot. Sprinkle the spices over the shrimp. Add vinegar and seasoned shrimp to the skillet and cook, tossing frequently, just until the shrimp are opaque. Remove skillet from heat and cover with tight fitting lid. Cool for 15 minutes. Remove shrimp with slotted spoon and reserve drippings. Mix 3 tablespoons of drippings en each cup of water called for in the recipe.
August 18, 20241 yr I’m a SETX girl, so I love treebeards. not really Nola style, definitely not bayou style, but it’s my favorite!TREEBEARDS’ SHRIMP ETOUFFEEThis butter-based dish is loaded with vegetables and shrimp in a sauce lightly accented with cayenne pepper.1 cup butter2 2/3 cups celery, chopped into ½ - inch pieces1 bell pepper, chopped into ½ - inch pieces1 ¼ teaspoons salt1/8 rounded teaspoon cayenne pepper¾ scant teaspoon black pepper¾ scant teaspoon garlic powder¾ scant teaspoon thyme2 cups boiling water mixed with 1 teaspoon shrimp base*1/8 teaspoon liquid crab boil½ teaspoon hot sauce4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped4 teaspoons tomato paste2 pounds Treebeards’ shrimp In heavy 5-quart Dutch oven or saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Add celery, onions and bell pepper. Stirring occasionally, cook until vegetables are soft; about 20 to 25 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix spices, shrimp base broth, crab boil, hot sauce and Worcestershire sauce. Set aside. When vegetables are soft, add flour and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add spice mixture; continue to cook for 5 minutes more. Stir in green onions, parsley and tomato paste and simmer until vegetables are tender. Add shrimp and cook only until shrimp are heated through. Serve over hot rice. SHRIMP BASE A few recipes in this book call for shrimp base. It can be found in Asian grocery stores or in gourmet sections of larger grocery stores. However, if you cannot find this ingredient, do not omit it from the recipe. Instead, follow these instructions for dry boiling the shrimp to produce the same results. Then use the drippings as indicated below, and then shrimp to replace the Treebeards Shrimp recipe. Vegetable or olive oil¼ teaspoon salt¼ teaspoon black pepper¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper¼ teaspoon garlic powder1 pound peeled shrimp2 tablespoons vinegar In a large, heavy skillet over medium heat, add just enough oil to cover bottom of skillet, and heat until oil is hot. Sprinkle the spices over the shrimp. Add vinegar and seasoned shrimp to the skillet and cook, tossing frequently, just until the shrimp are opaque. Remove skillet from heat and cover with tight fitting lid. Cool for 15 minutes. Remove shrimp with slotted spoon and reserve drippings. Mix 3 tablespoons of drippings en each cup of water called for in the recipe.Looks like I’m missing 1/2 c flour from the ingredients list.
August 18, 20241 yr 18 minutes ago, harpercollins said: Looks like I’m missing 1/2 c flour from the ingredients list. I re-read 3× thinking I missed something. You *can* edit the OP.
August 18, 20241 yr I re-read 3× thinking I missed something. You *can* edit the OP.Ah I’ll try on web, tapa edit button expires pretty quickly.
August 18, 20241 yr 7 minutes ago, harpercollins said: Ah I’ll try on web, tapa edit button expires pretty quickly. 🤔 I have used Tapa's "edit" feature months later w/ Ø advers affects. Are you using the paid "Pro" version? That may be the delineating factor. & Tapa doesn't publish the "edited" note like the web & [app extention phone] versions do.
August 18, 20241 yr so if the difference between pasta and macaroni is eight bucks, whats the differrence between gumbo and jambalaya? i'm thinking about making a jambalaya for our first game in two weeks. i'm thinking shrimp, crab, and andouille sausage. theres a possibility some duck might go in. i have a problem with editing so could easily kitchensink this bitch.
August 18, 20241 yr 8 minutes ago, harpercollins said: Gumbo is stew/soup. Jambalaya is a paella style rice dish. but you serve gumbo over rice, so in the end....? am i gathering correctly that the main difference is the amount of stock?
August 18, 20241 yr but you serve gumbo over rice, so in the end....? am i gathering correctly that the main difference is the amount of stock?Yes. In jambalaya the raw rice and broth are cooked together with the fond.
August 18, 20241 yr Really dig this recipe as a base for etouffe, I also take an immersion blender to it smooth it out before adding seafood (I do both crawfish and shrimp in mine).
August 19, 20241 yr I love potato salad in a gumbo, hard boiled eggs are damn good too. @harpercollins thanks for the etouffee recipe, it looks great. How much of the green onion do you add? Edited August 19, 20241 yr by RMac5
August 19, 20241 yr 1 hour ago, RMac5 said: @harpercollins thanks for the etouffee recipe, it looks great. How much of the green onion do you add? dang! missing two ingredients! i use all the green parts from one bunch; no white parts because it doesn't really have time to soften. I also cut back on the tomato paste because I use the cento double concentrated tomato paste tube. I also devein the shrimp for étouffée, though Treebeards doesn't (and I don't devein for gumbo). Shrimp is really the star here, and I take time to devein in this.
August 19, 20241 yr Just now, harpercollins said: dang! missing two ingredients! i use all the green parts from one bunch; no white parts because it doesn't really have time to soften. I also cut back on the tomato paste because I use the cento double concentrated tomato paste tube. I also devein the shrimp for étouffée, though Treebeards doesn't (and I don't devein for gumbo). Shrimp is really the star here, and I take time to devein in this. My, my that looks good!
August 19, 20241 yr In the cooler months we are making red beans and rice and/or shrimp étouffée on a heavy rotation. I actually had some custom flight boards made for my little bowls so you can eat gumbo, red beans and étouffée all at once with some crusty bread, Zesta crackers, and a simple salad. My HEB reliably gets fresh gulf shrimp weekly now, gulf snapper a couple times a month, and my crab guy is like clockwork too now that he quit his food truck business. I NEVER used to eat shellfish or fish in central Texas and now I do all the time! I pay through the nose for it, but it’s good!
August 19, 20241 yr 14 minutes ago, harpercollins said: my crab guy is like clockwork too now that he quit his food truck business. I NEVER used to eat shellfish or fish in central Texas and now I do all the time! I pay through the nose for it, but it’s good! Who is your crab guy?
August 19, 20241 yr but you serve gumbo over rice, so in the end....? am i gathering correctly that the main difference is the amount of stock?Nope. They are quite different. As said, gumbo is a stew, and it might be eaten alone, or with white rice, or French fries, or with potato salad. Jambalaya is very similar to an arroz con pollo. The rice is cooked in a seasoned broth with added proteins and vegetables. The rice absorbs all the flavor of the ingredients. Would you confuse Chinese fried rice with kung pao chicken that is served on rice?
August 19, 20241 yr Who is your crab guy? John williams in Killeen aka papa jazzy. I used to meet him in the strip club parking lot but now he will deliver to me in temple. He’s the greatest. I’ve had only one crab die in five years.
August 19, 20241 yr I don’t buy shrimp from papa jazzy, though. They are giant and tasty, but Idk why, they are impossible to peel. raw, bbq, or lowcountry style.
August 19, 20241 yr Temple? Too far for me. I would probably go to Quality on Airport @ 51st. Speaking of, it's been quite some time since I have had any Blues. 🤔 🤔
August 19, 20241 yr You got crabs from a guy named Papa Jazzy in a strip club parking lot? You sound fun.
September 17, 20241 yr Do any of y'all have any experience with gluten-free flour roux? I have a family friend who has celiac disease and I would like to accommodate him.
September 17, 20241 yr 1 minute ago, BHMCruiser said: Do any of y'all have any experience with gluten-free flour roux? I have a family friend who has celiac disease and I would like to accommodate him. From all I have read, it should work fine.
September 17, 20241 yr 12 minutes ago, BHMCruiser said: Do any of y'all have any experience with gluten-free flour roux? I have a family friend who has celiac disease and I would like to accommodate him. 10 minutes ago, dcbc said: From all I have read, it should work fine. Like dcbc said, it should be okay, but I have yet to try it myself. Word of caution though, if you're going to be using store-made chicken stock, make sure it's gluten free, because some retail brands have gluten-containing ingredients. We have a friend who has celiac, and a couple years ago saw first hand a reaction to having just a little bit of gluten. It wasn't pretty.
September 17, 20241 yr 1 hour ago, BHMCruiser said: Do any of y'all have any experience with gluten-free flour roux? I have a family friend who has celiac disease and I would like to accommodate him. I've done it with rice flour. Worked fine. (Then I nearly killed a woman who had shellfish allergies!)
September 17, 20241 yr 1 hour ago, South Austin said: Like dcbc said, it should be okay, but I have yet to try it myself. Word of caution though, if you're going to be using store-made chicken stock, make sure it's gluten free, because some retail brands have gluten-containing ingredients. We have a friend who has celiac, and a couple years ago saw first hand a reaction to having just a little bit of gluten. It wasn't pretty. Thanks for the heads up on that. I try to be careful but one time used guinness as part of a short rib braise and had to make something else for him. A good reminder to check every ingredient. 24 minutes ago, DalTxHornFan said: I've done it with rice flour. Worked fine. (Then I nearly killed a woman who had shellfish allergies!) That's on her. She shouldn't be eating gumbo.
September 17, 20241 yr 24 minutes ago, BHMCruiser said: Thanks for the heads up on that. I try to be careful but one time used guinness as part of a short rib braise and had to make something else for him. A good reminder to check every ingredient. That's on her. She shouldn't be eating gumbo. That was pretty shellfish of her.
September 17, 20241 yr Like dcbc said, it should be okay, but I have yet to try it myself. Word of caution though, if you're going to be using store-made chicken stock, make sure it's gluten free, because some retail brands have gluten-containing ingredients. We have a friend who has celiac, and a couple years ago saw first hand a reaction to having just a little bit of gluten. It wasn't pretty.
September 18, 20241 yr On 8/19/2024 at 12:13 AM, harpercollins said: John williams in Killeen aka papa jazzy. I used to meet him in the strip club parking lot but now he will deliver to me in temple. He’s the greatest. I’ve had only one crab die in five years. Dollhouse ?
September 22, 20241 yr sorry, long night. Made this with gluten free flour. Directions for the roux were initially taking way too long. So I had to crank it up. Beef sausage, smoked chicken breast, lots of frozen crawfish tails. Let it cool down naturally overnight, into the fridge this morning. Heated it up again for dinner. This is definitely the best gumbo I've ever cooked.
September 24, 20241 yr On 9/22/2024 at 6:18 PM, freyguy said: Let it cool down naturally overnight, into the fridge this morning
September 24, 20241 yr Yeah…my eyebrow went up too.Dude. You pour it into a container and put it in the fridge once it cools down off the simmer a bit. You don’t just leave it out at room temp all night.
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