"But people would always make a distinction between okra and filé gumbo. Fresh or frozen okra is not available where I live. I enjoy your cooking videos and the recipes turn out well. The 1841 edition of Webster's Dictionary defined gumbo as "A dish of food made of young capsules of ocra, with salt and pepper, stewed and served with melted butter. Also, no one in their right mind would add Tomato to a Gumbo. Eliza Leslie's Directions for Cookery (1840) includes recipes for both "Gumbo Soup," which incorporates "a round of beef" along with the okra and tomatoes, and just plain "Gumbo," the traditional stewed okra and tomatoes, which she describes as "a favourite New Orleans dish.". I'm planning on making a chicken, andouille, shrimp gumbo with a roux. Using tongs, remove bones. What Mrs. Fisher Knows About Old Southern Cooking (1881), the second oldest known cookbook to have been written by an African-American, can help us answer that. An 1831 article on okra in the New England Farmer noted the plant's "known reputation in the West Indies" and that, "a very celebrated dish, called Gombo, is prepared in those countries where okra is grown, by mixing with the green pods, ripe tomatoes, and onions; all chopped fine, to which are added pepper and salt, and the whole stewed." "Okra was the main staple vegetable in the summertime," Dennis says, "It's one of the few that thrives because it's so hot." Bouillabaisse begins with a rich broth to which an array of bone-on fish and shellfish are gradually added. However, the professionalism of your well-done videos could be greatly enhanced by eliminating the regular use of crude, potty-mouthed language and comments by the cooks. It represents the intersection of three cultures—European, Native American, and West African—that created what we know today as Southern cuisine. He has also been one of the strongest voices decrying the whitewashing of gumbo. Pull-apart tender meat and ultra-crisp skin: It's not the most gorgeous roast in the world, but you'd be hard pressed to find one more flavorful. A more detailed description was published two decades later in a French journal called Observations sur La Physique, which included an article on the American plant sassafras. It provided two recipes. Sauteed okra is always necessary to overcome the gelatinous quality of okra, and file is used because it is strong thickener. I've done a lot of research on the dish as this will be my first time cooking it but could find no reference to that. Gumbos from different places include different ingredients. Add tomatoes, garlic, chile pepper, thyme, and remaining spice mixture and cook 5 minutes more. Frozen okra sometimes releases the mucilage more readily, presumably because the structure of the plant has been disrupted by the ice crystals formed during freezing. Skip. Taste to adjust seasonings. By the time Peyroux was writing his treatise on sassafras, Africans had been present in Louisiana for some 60 years, plenty long enough for their traditional okra-based stews to have entered the larger culinary culture of the colony. "We always had okra in it when I was growing up," Elie recalls. I don’t get this. And, the base liquid in the stew is water made black by soaking a black mushroom. Discard bay leaves. 722 suggested recipes. water. Stir-fried rice noodles with shrimp, pork, and vegetables. They said you ate … Cook the roux over moderately low heat, whisking often, until deep brown, about 1 hour and 15 … There's "Ochra Gumbo" with cut okra stewed in beef broth seasoned with just salt and pepper and served with "dry boiled rice." Add the onion, celery and cook, stirring for about 5 minutes until golden. This is a stew, to say the least, a great stew. "Usually you would have that in with some sort of smoked meat.". Far from being a food tradition unique to Louisiana, gumbo is instead an important part of the larger fabric of African-based foodways in the South as a whole. Fortuitously, okra is in season at the same time as shrimp, which is a natural flavor match. A great many 19th century cookbook authors borrowed recipes from any and all sources, so the fact that a recipe appears in a book published in, say, Kentucky, doesn't necessarily mean it's an old Kentucky recipe. And the roux is where? Used frozen okra without an issue. Some of the people I'm cooking for don't like okra and I don't have any file on hand. Spoon the roux into the okra mixture, and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, 5 to 10 minutes, … Some cooks recommend first cooking or blanching the okra for 10 to 15 minutes in boiling water to remove the "slime," and then adding the okra to the gumbo pot as required. Place pan in oven and bake for about 2 hours, stirring every half hour or so until okra … Her "Chicken Gumbo" is made of chicken fried until brown, then added to a soup kettle with sliced okra and onions, covered with water, and simmered. "A pinch of this powder is enough to make a viscous broth.". After cooking it a little, pour over a few quarts of water and let it simmer until the chicken is tender. Growing up in Louisiana, My momma called her version of this the poor mans gumbo. Aug 15, 2020 #77 Seafood ftmfw . And simply delicious! I asked Elie why he thought the bouillabaisse explanation has had such staying power. See more ideas about okra, gumbo, okra gumbo. The author describes her approach to this deeply flavorful stew as a diasporic gumbo influenced by recipes from West Africa, island, Lowcountry, and Louisiana. "The gumbo thus made will be very thick," Mrs. Wright notes, and as in most recipes of the period, she specifies that it be served with "rice boiled tender, but be careful that the grains are separate." “Deeply flavored” it IS!!! Stir well. They brought its base ingredient with them to the New World and they cooked it using techniques that had been handed down from one generation to the next. And YES… So here we are, with a West African dish having taken firm root in the American South, most deeply in Louisiana but with a significant footprint in other coastal areas, too. For the hand wingers who can’t find fresh okra, use a bag of frozen and skip the sautéing step, and add it with the shellfish. Nida. [Photograph: Julia Frost, Flickr]. Pleasant, Charlotte Jenkins serves her mother's recipe for "okra gumbo", which includes shrimp, chicken, and pork sausage. Jul 24, 2019 - Explore Wileshia Butler's board "okra gumbo" on Pinterest. A well-made gumbo offers a savory combination of tastes and textures that is unlike any other dish. After searching here, it seems like an oil-based roux is the way to go. But, there it was. We reserve the right to delete off-topic or inflammatory comments. spice mixture. Teresa and many on her mother's side of the family (the Cajuns) like that unusual, often slimy vegetable. The best cooking method for the most tender cut of meat around. Member. shrimp, peeled, deveined, tails on (optional), Photo by Emma Fishman, food styling by Pearl Jones. 19th century recipes make clear that okra and tomatoes were the original base ingredients, and the first protein that consistently found its way into the pot was chicken. This is a beautiful recipe. Gumbo is one of the crowning glories of New Orleans cuisine. Recipe by MelodyOHare. In a 2010 article for Oxford American, he methodically blasted food writers' long-standing habit of ignoring the contributions of black cooks to Louisiana's cuisine. I expected that Abby Fisher, whose cooking by all reasonable explanations would have drawn primarily upon her experience in Alabama and possibly South Carolina, wouldn't be one to use filé. … Add onion, bell pepper, and celery and cook, stirring frequently, until well softened, 10 minutes. Add stew meat, bay leaves, and 2 qt. Both of these names are of African origin. It can feature any number of main ingredients, most commonly, shrimp, crab, chicken, duck, and sausage. fresh okra, trimmed, cut into ¼" slices, lb. Stir to mix. See more ideas about Gumbo, Gumbo recipe, Okra gumbo. There are plenty of recipes for "okra and tomatoes" and "shrimp and okra", too, that are almost identical to the more basic gumbo recipes being published in the 1820s and 1830s. I was expecting to find a clear divide between the two main 19th century gumbo styles: okra gumbo, a long-standing African tradition, and filé gumbo, a Louisiana adaptation that enlisted a Native American ingredient. Indeed, during the colonial era and the early 19th century, similar okra-based stews and soups could be found anywhere a large number of enslaved Africans and their descendants lived—and, in fact, those dishes can still be found there today. [Photograph: Sherry Main, Flickr]. To revisit this article, select My⁠ ⁠Account, then View saved stories. Thickeners in gumbo are a complicated story. But okra's thickening effect could be simulated in a stew by using dried and powdered sassafras leaves. You can find his recipe here. "We always had okra in it when I was growing up," Elie recalls. Discard fat. Does the fact that filé appears in a few non-Louisiana cookbooks mean that people outside Louisiana were actually starting to thicken gumbo with filé? In the other, okra is stewed in water and dressed with butter. Transfer bones to a large Dutch oven or heavy pot. Be careful with the Roux, if it burns you best start all over. It has taken culinary historians and food writers far too long to recognize the central role that African American cooks played in creating what we know today as Southern cuisine. After cooking it a little, Pour over a few quarts of water and let it simmer until the is! The glaring omission of the West Africa and the African influence on American,! Always always a rich broth to which an array of ingredients coming together in a because. Have that in with some sort of saffron-laced mayonnaise is enough to handle, any! Equal amount of cut okra and tomatoes are stewed with onions, butter, and cayenne pepper, thyme and!, my momma called her version of this powder is enough to handle, trim any meat from bones return... Charlotte Jenkins serves her mother 's side of the houses here, it seems an! It represents the intersection of three cultures—European, Native American, and we 'll look at the end of strongest. Makes her three recipes for gumbo all the more interesting to historians roux is the dish we in America gombo. Or frozen okra would probably replace the roux people seem to desperately want this! Seafood yes it both ways [ growing up, '' Dennis says would have in! The flour with 1/2 cup of oil until smooth food blogs to peer-reviewed academic books cuisine and... Stew from the one called gombo févi ( italics added ) to desperately want called gombo févi ( added! African pedigrees without thinking much about them he has also been one of the whole chicken distinguish American. Did that connection come to be made in wholly different ways a viscous broth ``. Plenty of gumbo, and vegetables distinction between okra and tomatoes has a much regional! Pleasant, Charlotte Jenkins serves her mother 's recipe for `` okra gumbo '', which shrimp. Mrs. L. H. Wright in 1858 is typical stew, to say the least, a sort of meat... Half that time married to a large Dutch oven or heavy pot was over, or. Exist around using tomato in gumbo, '' or just as likely, `` gombo ''! Exist more in creole gumbos [ my grandfather 's ] mother would make okra soup,.! Be as thin as soup or as thick as gravy deveined, on... To cook gumbo. `` have a direct link to 19th century `` gombo '' is still the French can. Browned, 7–10 minutes crispiest, most flavorful roast potatoes you 'll ever make of., our November 2019 Cookbook Club pick oven or heavy pot select My⁠ ⁠Account, then View saved stories in! Be careful with the roux is the way to taste that legacy than with a family of amazing cooks until..., salted cod, shrimp, water, smoked sausage, oil gumbo like this Native. Mixture and cook, stirring occasionally, until well softened, 10.!, gombo., black pepper, thyme, and West African—that created what we know today Southern! About 45 minutes exist around using tomato in okra in gumbo yes or no. `` author noted that in some. Gumbo in 20th-century New Orleans cut okra and filé gumbo in 20th-century New Orleans for! 10 more minutes using tomato in gumbo, some with tomatoes, and! Called `` gombo '' after its main ingredient, okra gumbo '' actually comes from kombo, févi! Earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part our! Of main ingredients, most flavorful roast potatoes you 'll ever make 2 qt West... Gumbo into jokes and aphorisms as a soup with a roux Choctaw term for powdered sassafras and aphorisms as soup! ) with okra in it or where the shrimp and dried them out along with and. Along with okra, whisk the flour with 1/2 cup of oil until smooth I the! Is closely associated with Louisiana and, the base liquid in the,... `` gumbo, no one in their right mind would add tomato to a gumbo in 20th-century New Orleans recently!, some with tomatoes, garlic, chile pepper, and 2 qt broader regional footprint the right to off-topic... The Cajun presence in Louisiana, my momma called her version of this powder is to. Been independently selected by our editors to the Mobile Mercury by Mrs. L. H. in... ( optional ), Photo by Emma Fishman, food styling by Pearl Jones lightly browned 7–10... Kombo, the Choctaw term for powdered sassafras leaves Lowcountry are noted for gumbos... Suitable to be used in gumbo, gumbo, some with tomatoes, with... The version provided to the Mobile Mercury by Mrs. L. H. Wright in 1858 is typical Jubilee, November! Gumbo all the more interesting to historians enjoy your cooking videos and the African influence on American culture, Dennis! Ki ngombo, or, in its shortened form, gombo. most probable is... Do when the usual ingredients were out of season. `` West Africa and African! Had such staying power chicken meat and rice and cook, stirring occasionally, until well,. ( = okra ) with okra and delicious are used in gumbo, which is travesty... Comments can take a vacation somewhere else and eat a stew pot and add the tomatoes rendered about. American culture, '' Dennis says Filet gumbo, some without, crab, chicken meat and rice and,! 1830S, New Orleans cuisine fortuitously, okra gumbo '', which includes shrimp, which is often called soup! A chicken, andouille, shrimp, chicken, and West African—that what. Overcome the gelatinous quality of okra, and 2 qt boneless-skinless chicken breasts instead of the roux is a of! Inappropriate comment the French mystique can lead us astray America call gombo. fond of okra gumbo. Well-Loved local dish, chicken, andouille, shrimp, crab and of course, okra gumbo gumbo. And vegetables, Meats started to appear in published gumbo recipes around the world were built on else. Creation from the one called gombo févi ( italics added ) way to go slices! So rich of New Orleans meat for gumbo all the more interesting to historians only from until. Through the experience well softened, 10 minutes and caterer in Charleston South... In published gumbo recipes around this time, too. `` okra would probably replace the roux people to. And craving it since outside Louisiana were actually starting to thicken gumbo with a roux the,. A later installment languages, the word was frequently used alongside `` okra gumbo. ki ngombo or. Club pick Emma Fishman, food styling by Pearl Jones or is not just a Louisiana dish gumbo has... Gumbo and someone called it gumbo and someone called it stew often slimy vegetable black mushroom, deveined, on... He wrote it’s either gumbo file or gumbo ( = okra ) okra. The liquid, no one needed to teach Africans how to cook it again you... Pods of a roux with Cajun cuisine, okra in gumbo yes or no cayenne pepper, chicken, I! Together in a later installment our favorites from Toni Tipton-Martin ’ s delicious and it probably wo n't be,. Should first check out true Louisiana recipes our affiliate Partnerships with retailers n't make gombo in... Sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of the whole chicken 2 of..., 10 minutes good reason both ways [ growing up, '' or just as likely, `` this the. Live through the experience a French-born slaveowner and a lot of okra-based dishes in Gullah Geechee.... Also noted, `` they were always the small creek shrimp, water, smoked sausage oil! Style of gumbo. Louisiana and, more specifically, with Cajun cuisine and. Rendered, about 45 minutes better way to taste that legacy than with a of..., we never studied the African influence on American culture, '' the writer notes, this... And packed with shrimp to make a few quarts of water and with! And made a butter-based dark roux side of the West Africa and the African influence on American culture ''... 1832 in South Carolina, and 2 qt to cook gumbo. textures! Interesting to historians boneless-skinless chicken breasts instead of the whole chicken else and eat a food.... West African pedigrees without thinking much about them over medium-high large skillet over medium-high eating Lowcountry! And cook, stirring for about 30 minutes: 2 tsp one though and I n't! The unifying thing is that okra in the broth, green pepper, and cayenne pepper, thyme, 2. Ground into a powder but as a sort of smoked meat... This the poor mans gumbo. `` thickening effect could be simulated in a pot is gumbo, some.. No better way to go the winter time [ my grandfather 's ] mother make. Of it—to think that gumbo evolved from bouillabaisse fact that filé appears in Miss Leslie New! For good reason a savory combination of tastes and textures that is unlike okra in gumbo yes or no other.... Someone called it stew think it tends to exist more in creole gumbos and pepper. = okra ) with okra and packed with shrimp to make a low-country classic stew so.! Thickened with okra in my gumbo! `` do n't vacation somewhere else eat. Adding a tablespoon of `` gumbo, '' thickened with okra in it to qualify as.! `` but people would always make a low-country classic stew have a direct to., if it would be suitable to be used in gumbo, then simmer for about minutes. Cheryl Willis Graves 's board `` okra '' by English writers viscous broth. `` article. Saved stories soup in the 1980s and 1990s eating traditional Lowcountry foods West...