Smothred Okra Gumbo

[Donnyboy]

Rajun,
I watched your smothered okra gumbo video on youtube a couple of weeks ago and I have a couple of questions. My favorite gumbo is made with a dark roux. I like it thick enough to almost float a spoon. Your gumbo seemed to use the smothered okra as a thickener instead of a flour based roux. You said you like the okra gumbo, but do you prefer it over the flour roux? What temp do you cook your okra down in the oven and how long does it take to cook down in the oven? I am going to give it a try cause my garden produces more okra than we can eat or give away.

I was watching Phil Robertson from Duck Dynasty fame cook shrimp etouffee today and an authentic cajun would have banned him from the kitchen. He used canned chicken broth, canned cream of mushroom soup, canned cream of chicken soup to make to it. The only authentic parts were the onions, rice, and bell peppers. I almost forgot, the shrimp were real. I say that with total respect for Phil, but he really needs to watch some Justin Wilson and Paul Prudhomme videos.

[Rajun Gardener]

Shame on you Don, you didn't pay attention!! LOL!!! Just joking!
I used roux and smothered okra to get that thick gravy. If you want it thicker just simmer it down longer till it reduces to the thickness you like. I prefer adding okra to all the gumbo's I make, it adds flavor and makes it thicker.

Cooking the okra depends on if you start with frozen okra and how much you re cooking. I'm guessing but fresh cut not frozen okra will take about 2 hours at 375 and frozen takes almost twice as long. You'll know if it's done when it's slim free and a dark brown color. Just taste it when you think it's done and if it doesn't have a slim feel it's done. Some people season it, add onions or diced tomatoes while cooking but I just go plain and season it when I make a dish.

FYI, many people use cream of mushroom soup to thicken the crawfish etouffee instead of making a blonde roux. It doesn't add much flavor and makes it thicker with the pieces of mushroom. I think that came from making an "After the boil etouffee" when you have leftovers of crawfish, onions and mushrooms but I'm guessing.

[Donnyboy]

Yep, I saw you add the flour and oil; but it seemed you only added about a table spoon of flour and a small amount of oil. I suppose it just depends on how much roux you want. I used to use about 1/2 cup of flour and cook it until it is dark brown. I usually made a large cast iron pot of gumbo. My roux may have been proportional to yours in different sized pots. For those folks who haven't made a really dark roux before, do it outside if possible. The smoke is intense and may set some fire alarms off. A good comparison to my gumbo was Landry's on I-10 near Breux Bridge. I ate their gumbo any time I was within five miles of their restaurant.

It's about time for my wife and I to make our semi annual sabbatical to Louisiana to check in with old friends and for me to fill up on crawfish boudin. I'm really reluctant to do it this new year. I'm not sure I want to see and remember the destruction around Lake Charles, Morgan City; and Houma. Some of my favorite places like Cameron have never been rebuilt from past hurricanes. I would move back to Louisiana in a heart beat, but I would never get my wife to go with me. As the song says, "you can get the girl out of Texas, but you will never get Texas out of the girl".

The "after the boil" meals were some of the best I've ever eaten. The Cajun cooks on the offshore rigs usually filled large galvanized trash cans with boiled crawfish. A can of crawfish in a walk in cooler would feed the crew for three or four days. I used to tell the helicopter pilots it doesn't matter when you get me to a rig, so long as you get me there in time for lunch.

[roper2008]

Oh, I have to find that video. I bought heavy hitter okra from Baker Creek.

[MissS]

Oh, I have to find that video. I bought heavy hitter okra from Baker Creek.

Here it is
viewtopic.php?f=100&t=1823&p=33399#p33399

[rhines81]

Cooking the okra depends on if you start with frozen okra and how much you re cooking. I'm guessing but fresh cut not frozen okra will take about 2 hours at 375 and frozen takes almost twice as long. You'll know if it's done when it's slim free and a dark brown color. Just taste it when you think it's done and if it doesn't have a slim feel it's done. Some people season it, add onions or diced tomatoes while cooking but I just go plain and season it when I make a dish.

I absolutely have to have okra in my gumbo. All proteins aside (chicken, sausage, seafood, etc...), there are two basic types of cajun/creole gumbo, there is Okra gumbo and Filé gumbo. The slime in the okra is used as a thickening agent as is the filé powder (which is usually added at the end of the cook or added when served).
Being that I insist on having okra in my gumbo and that there are many that do not like the slime... I de-slime my okra prior to adding it to the recipe, then at the end I put in the filé powder to thicken it up. Best of both worlds!

[worth1]

The slime doesn't bother me a bit and I was raised on it.
Why when I was a little boy my mom would fill my baby bottle up with warn okra slime and hot pepper juice.
Then when I got my first tooth she gave me sliced raw onions to help cut my teeth.

Seriously we always had whole stewed okra in the refrigerator and I just loved to snack on it cold with just salt and black pepper
Then my wife came along and wanted to ruin it with tomatoes.
Not me, just salt and black pepper on whole okra cooked till just tender.

[Donnyboy]

I love slimy okra, but I'm not a fan of okra in my gumbo. I think I will love the thickened gumbo with smothered okra and I am anxious to get my okra seed planted.