First You Make a Roux...

I'm from the south, and I can honestly say that I love great food. I think great food is just a huge part of the southern culture. My girlfriend, the chef, has been fascinated with southern cooking. A few months ago, she asked me if I could make gumbo. I think that's because she saw Bobby Flay having a gumbo throwdown somewhere in New Orleans. At any rate, I was determined to impress her. For some reason, I feel shy when cooking for my girlfriend. I know that I'm a decent cook, and I have some great recipes under my belt, but cooking isn't my profession. I know she's not going to critique me or anything, and I've actually learned a lot from her, but for some reason I still feel a little shy cooking for her. Oh well.

Anyway, when asked to make gumbo, I decided to spend a Sunday afternoon fulfilling this tasty request. First, I made a roux:

The Roux:
-1 cup flour
-2/3 cup vegetable oil
-LOTS of stirring and patience!

Some recipes use butter or corn oil to make a roux. I think corn oil works best, but I used vegetable oil this time just because it's what we had in the cupboard. I prefer to use a large spatula when I'm stirring the roux; it covers a larger surface area and makes the whole process a little less stressful. The type of gumbo you're making will determine the color of your roux (and thus, the time you must spend making the roux); for this recipe, I wanted a caramel color- something close to the shade of peanut butter. I'd say that it took me about 45 minutes to achieve a satisfactory color for my roux. Even though I'm not a professional chef, I can share one important (and obvious) tip with y'all: don't ever walk away from the roux. Don't ever quit stirring the roux. If you walk away from the roux, the flour will burn and you'll have to start all over again. Trust me, patience and persistence are virtues when it comes to a good roux.

Now, my girlfriend had requested a seafood gumbo. I wanted to throw in a good mix of stuff; here are the ingredients that I used:

The Gumbo:
-1 stick butter/margarine
-1 pound cut okra (frozen is fine, that's what I used)
-3 pounds raw shrimp (peeled, unless you want to peel 'em yourself)
-1 cup sliced andouille (or any type of lean sausage)
-1 package of crawfish tails
-2 chopped onions (approximately 3 cups)
-1 large green pepper (chopped)
-1 cup chopped celery
-3 cloves of minced garlic
-2 quarts of seafood stock (you can use chicken stock if you have to)
-1 can (28 oz) diced tomatoes
-1 tablespoon of chopped garlic
-1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
-3 bay leaves
-1 teaspoon Tony Chachere's Original Creole Seasoning
-chopped green onions (to taste)

Chop the vegetables and set them aside before starting the roux. Fun fact: the "holy trinity" of gumbo refers to the chopped onions, chopped bell pepper, and chopped celery. Then, in a large pot, melt the butter and add the okra. Cook the okra on medium heat for about 15 minutes, then set the pot aside. Now, you can start the roux. Once you have a caramel-colored roux, add the chopped vegetables and stir until soft (approximately seven minutes). Add one or two cups of broth to the roux and stir until smooth. Transfer everything to the larger pot and combine the two.

Now, add the tomatoes, the remaining stock, garlic, andouille, crawfish tails, and seasonings. Do not add the green onions yet. Bring everything to a boil and then reduce the heat to low. Simmer uncovered for 1-2 hours (2 hours is best if you have the time), stirring about every 15 minutes.

When you're almost ready to eat, add the shrimp and simmer for 15-20 minutes on low heat. Be careful not to overcook, as the shrimp will get tough.

Serve with rice and add chopped green onions as a garnish.

The verdict? My girlfriend loved it, and I had a lot of fun making it!