
Welcome to our third installment of Gettin’ Spicy starring comedian Geneva Joy Hughes. Find the other foodie videos here and here.
How to make a gumbo in 26 fun steps
Geneva Joy was told by another comedian that he would rather eat her *** than her first pot of gumbo. She took that as a challenge.
Geneva enlisted the help of Newdie Mag to document her culinary attempt. We’ve worked with Geneva’s fellow New Orleans comedian, Laura Sanders, before to eat gumbo but never got to watch one be made. Needless to say we were excited, but a little afraid to try it. Hopefully it tastes better than her ***.
To make the gumbo Geneva sought advice from several locals and got a recipe from a rather famous local Emiril Lagasse. (The full recipe is below so you can recreate it in 26 steps…or less?)
Off camera, scouring Rouses grocery store for ingredients she asked for more advice. We aren’t sure whether or not she scared some New Orleanians with her persistence. We are guessing she did, however.
In her journey Geneva learned about the holy trinity of cajun cooking which consists of onions, bell peppers and celery. It is the base of many cajun dishes including gumbo, crawfish etouffee, and jambalaya. She learned a quick trick of just buying the holy trinity already chopped and blended rather than cutting it all up by hand. The more time saved making the gumbo means more time can be spent eating the gumbo!
To start a gumbo you need a roux. Geneva started the roux with one part flour and one part oil. Then she may have added more flour. And more. And more. And even more to thicken it up.
Watch above for Genevas 26 steps to cook a gumbo and make sure to follow them closely. Want to see how her dish turned out? Did it taste like flour? Burnt af? Find out at www.newdiemag.com/taste
The recipe:
Chicken and Andouille Gumbo
Ingredients
1 recipe Rich Chicken Stock, with reserved chicken meat
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 medium onions, chopped
2 ribs celery, finely chopped
3 tablespoons minced garlic
1 green bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, plus more to taste
1 1/2 pounds andouille sausage, cut into 1⁄3-inch-thick rounds
1 1/2 teaspoons salt, plus more to taste
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 bay leaf
1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced
1/3 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Cooked white rice, for serving
Louisiana hot sauce, for serving
Filé powder, for serving (optional)
Directions
- Make the Rich Chicken Stock and reserve the shredded chicken meat and broth as the recipe instructs. If using it the same day, let the broth cool before starting the gumbo.
- With the oil and flour, make a roux the color of milk chocolate following these directions for Making a Roux.
- Immediately add the onions, celery, garlic, bell pepper, cayenne, and sausage, and cook, stirring, until the vegetables are softened, 5 to 7 minutes. If the broth has cooled by this time, add it to the roux mixture along with the salt, black pepper, and bay leaf, and bring to a gentle simmer. Continue to simmer, skimming any foam or excess oil that comes to the top, until the sauce is flavorful and thickened to the desired consistency, and any trace of floury taste is gone, about 2 hours.
- Add the chicken, green onions, and parsley to the gumbo and continue to simmer about 30 minutes longer. Don’t stir too much or the chicken will fall apart into shreds. Adjust the thickness, if necessary, by adding water or more broth. Adjust the seasoning with salt and cayenne as needed.
- Serve the gumbo in shallow bowls over hot white rice. Have the hot sauce and filé at the table for guests to use to their liking.
- Note: In Louisiana, everyone has his or her own preference when it comes to gumbo thickness. This one is about middle of the road, which is the way I prefer it—not too brothy and not too thick. It is easy to adjust the thickness by using less broth for a thicker gumbo and/or adding more for a thinner consistency.
– Recipe from our boy Emiril Lagasse