The Most Important Tool In Any Kitchen Is…

Posted on September 7, 2012 by brewsards

Recipe. There it is. That word. I hate that word. For me, its like a contract. Like a “chaining down” to one particular way of doing something. I am a huge believer in promoting thinking for yourself. And, that is partially the topic of today’s blog entry. Which most of you probably already understand.

This issue has come up with me on several occasions. Someone says, “Can I get your recipe?” And I usually come up with some guesstimate of how I put something together. But, the truth is, you can follow that recipe to a “T” and it will never taste like mine. (not saying that is always a bad thing, lol) And that is because I simply don’t do anything the same way twice, and with good reason.

Let me explain. Think about an ingredient. Say, onion for instance. If onion is in your recipe, its for good reason. You get a lot of flavor and aroma from onion. Now, there are several different types of common onions. Red, white, yellow, sweet… All taste differently. Now even beyond that, lets take red onions. Say you have a red onion that was grown in California and a red onion that was grown in Louisiana. They will taste totally different. Why? Well every element in the soil, every extra second of daylight, every ounce of water, etc. has an effect on the flavor. And that is just flavor. I’m not even talking about texture, aromatic potency, water content, all of which can drastically effect a “recipe”. And then, that is just onions. You can apply that same train of thought to peppers, apples, beef, chicken, beans, peppercorns, grains, water and so on and so on. If you factor all of these variables in the ingredients, plus the temperature of your stove and oven. If a recipe says cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, there is no way to know what kind of stove the person used and what temperature exactly is medium. Plus air temperature and humidity. You see? Thousands of variables. So, the chances of you following a recipe exactly and it tasting the same as the writer’s are slim to none.

Bottom line is recipes should be used as a guideline only. The most important thing to take from “recipes” is not the ingredients and amounts, but the technique. You should know how to dice, or saute’, or stir a roux, or whatever. It really doesn’t matter how much of what you put in there. Which leads me to my point…o yeah (ramble much?!?!).

That is why, in my opinion, the most important gadget in any kitchen is not a gadget at all. Its just a simple, standard, humble spoon. Nothing fancy required here. No wires or guards, no buttons or levers. Just a soup, table or tea spoon straight out of your silverware set will do just fine. You see, because the secret to cooking well, and its really not a secret at all, is taste your food. Taste well…taste often. Again, recipes are meant to be used as a guideline. You should enjoy cooking. You should care for the dish, whatever it may be. If it doesn’t look like its enough onions, add more. If it needs more salt, add more. Have an idea of what it is supposed to taste and look like before hand, and you can figure out what your version needs or doesn’t. That way, at least you know what you are serving.
Always remember, cooking should be an art, not a chore…
Happy cooking…Brewsard

Fort Collins, Colorado – An American Beer Drinker’s Paradise – Part II

Posted on May 9, 2012 by brewsards

PART II

Pateros Creek Brewing Co. is another microbrewery in downtown Fort Collins. We stepped into their small, homey taproom with high hopes and growing expectations from our wonderful experience at Odell. After a quick glance at the menu, I order a Car 21, their Best Bitter, one of my favorite beer styles. It’s a very clean, very drinkable beer with tons of sweet maltiness, no doubt from a heavy helping of Maris Otter malt, which Steve, the brewer, confirms with a smile. We taste several beers including their Snowy River-a nice Vanilla Porter, their Stimulator – an excellent Rye Pale. Steve even gave us a preview taste of his Outpost – a very nice, smoky (cherry wood smoked malt) scotch ale which would not be available until the following week. Overall I thought the beers were excellent and well crafted.

One beer, however, really stood out to me. Let me begin with a bit of a back story. They were in the process of something at Pateros Creek that I thought was very cool. The taproom has one tap that they call The Outlaw. Every Thursday, they tap a new 5 gallon keg of something “out of the box”. It started off as just a novelty beer tap, but right now they are using it as a competition amongst the staff. Everyone on staff at the brewery was given the opportunity to create a 5 gallon batch of their own unique beer, brew it and then release it on the outlaw tap. The person whose beer goes the quickest, wins. Typically, these beers don’t last for more than a day, so lucky for us, we dropped in on a Thursday and I was able to momentarily please my constant quest for experiencing the “one of a kind”. The Outlaw that week was called Mango Tango (pictured), a mango chilli beer brewed by Alyse. I’ll be the first to admit that, even though my love of craft beer really started with Blue Moon and Abita Strawberry, my tastes have changed dramatically and I’m not one for fruit beers. However, I’d never had a mango beer, so I thought I’d give it a shot. The base for the beer was their Old Towne Ale which is a Kolsch style, and a very, very good one at that. The beer poured a slightly hazy beautiful golden color. The nose up front had lots of chili with just a hint of the mango sweetness in the background. I often find the nose on a chili beer can be a little offensive, especially with jalapenos as was used in this example. At first I wasn’t sure, but the more I smelled it, the more it just made sense. The slight hint of raw chilies, the sweet earthiness of the mango and the unmistakable aroma of Munich malt blended so harmoniously in my nose I had trouble putting it down. Then, as I raised the glass and took the first sip, I was blown away. You see, the main problem with chili beers, as well as fruit beers, is that they are two strong, imposing flavors, especially for a beer as delicate as a Kolsch. I thought for sure they would clash and fight each other for the spotlight, all the while confusing my tongue as to who is the hero. I couldn’t have been more wrong. This beer was, in my opinion, perfectly executed. The mango and raw jalapeno flavors seemed intertwined, all the while keeping to their own uniqueness. It was as though they were both doing everything they could to come forward, but at the same time, allowed each other to shine. I finished my taster and immediately ordered a full pint. I asked about a growler, but they said it wouldn’t be fair because of the competition. I was kind of glad because I would have had to figure out how to secure it in my bag along with the 7 other beers I brought home. So, I guess that wonderful melding of flavors will remain only in my mind…and in this blog…and maybe in the clone I’m going to try, with Alyse and Steve’s input, hopefully.

Soon it was time to go, and at the advice of a few very friendly locals, we left Pateros Creek at closing time and headed to Choice City Butcher, an actual butcher shop by day, nice chop house style restaurant with an absolutely jaw dropping beer selection by night. (ranked #9 restaurant beer list in the world by ratebeer.com in 2011) I ordered the special, which was a thick center cut pork chop topped with an apple and shallot puree with a side of asparagus. At the suggestion of our lovely waitress, I decided to pair it with the Timmerman’s Bourgogne de Flanders, an exceptional Flanders style sour red ale. Truly a match made in heaven. The slight sourness went perfectly with the apples as the malty and fruity sweetness played well with the pork. All the while, the true to form Belgian carbonation and dryness cleaned the palate after every sip, leaving my taste buds in a state of amnesia, causing each bite to seem as though it was the first.

After dinner, we…very carefully…made our way back to the hotel in Cheyenne. The entire ride home, I was running the timing calculations in my head for the next day. We would need to be on the road from Fort Collins to Denver by 1:00. How would we spend those last few hours? I guess that would depend on which taproom opened the earliest, right?…

Fort Collins, Colorado – An American Beer Drinker’s Paradise – Part I

Posted on May 2, 2012 by brewsards

One brewer I met called it “The Napa Valley of Beer”, and anyone who has been there can see why. With 6 microbreweries and 1 brew pub/nanobrewery in a town with a population of about 150,000, Fort Collins, Colorado,or Choice City as it is known, is truly a beer drinker’s paradise. And, of course, I’m talking about beer, not fizzy watered down yellow stuff laced with a tiny bit of alcohol…ahem…B-M-C. I’m talking about malty, hoppy, heavy, roasty deliciousness.

I was fortunate enough to visit this breathtakingly beautiful college town during a business trip recently and, wow…was I blown away. I was working in Cheyenne and flew into Denver, all the while hoping to finish work a bit early to allow for a stop halfway in Fort Collins, a virtual goldmine for American craft beer. Of course, I knew of New Belgium Brewery, brewer of Fat Tire and Ranger IPA among others. I knew about Fort Collins Brewery, which is the only one of the 6 that is available in Louisiana. I’d also tried one beer from Odell Brewing Company, their Myrcenary Double IPA, which is fantastic. But, 3 others I’d never even heard of…please, oh please let us have time. And, well, thanks to the diligence of my colleague and proper planning, we did. We spent an evening and a mid-day in that beutiful sun drenched town and this is how it transpired.

Thursday started off with some interesting realizations at the worksite, followed by a moderately early finish to our short work trip. We ended up making it into Fort Collins at around 5:30 p.m. and our first stop was to be New Belgium Brewery. Not for a tour (they book up pretty far in advance), just to sit in the “taproom” and taste a few. This may be one of the coolest things about the breweries there, at least for a Louisianian. They all have taprooms at the brewery where they sell beers by the half pint, pint, half growler, growler, as well as different keg sizes, all of their bottles, and of course, their merchandise. These taprooms are a great place for the breweries to test experimental brews and get actual consumer feedback. So, they are great for lovers of interesting, sometimes one of a kind beers, which I am. Imagine that…a brewery being able to sell their own product without a middleman…hmmm…but I digress. Pulling into the parking lot with the windows down (the weather is outstanding…which is probably why everybody, and I mean everybody, rides bikes around there…more on that later) I caught a whiff something very familiar. It was a combination of sweet malt and fresh hops filling the air like a translucent fog. A wonderful and familiar smell to any brewer, home or commercial. That smell is steam wafting off of freshly boiling wort, or pre fermented beer, undoubtedly boiling off of the brew kettle. “They must be brewing. Do you smell that? Delicious.” So, we pull into the parking lot and low and behold, there is a sign on the door, “Closed at 5:00 for a private party.” “Of course. That is my luck. Come all the way from Louisiana and I just want to be able to tell my father in law that I drank a Fat Tire (his favorite beer) 100 ft from where it is brewed and its closed. Perfect.” (little did I know, I would get my chance) So, New Belgium is out…lets go to Odell.

We arrive at Odell Brewing Company at around 5:40, which brings up something else I thought was interesting. I mean it is a relatively small town to begin with (it reminded me of Lafayette, LA), but 5 of the 6 breweries are located within about 5-6 blocks of each other (slowly explaining the bicycles). Anyway, we were kind of rushed because they close it up at 6:00. We buy a flight and a pint of their cask, a XX Pale Ale. I love cask beers. If I go somewhere and there is a beer engine, I’m getting it. If there are 5 beer engines, I’m getting them all, haha. So, we go with The Pilot flight, which includes their Double Pilsner, Myrcenary Double IPA (named for myrcene, a component of the essential oils in hop flowers), Shenanigans (a mildly brettanomyces soured barrel aged crimson ale), Rich Uncle’s Dunkel (a 6% dunkel weiss and my least favorite of the group), Coffee Oatmeal Amber (self explanatory), and the Hiverrano American Wild Ale (made with wild yeast that was captured and propagated from the brewery grounds). All were nice, but two of these require expounding upon.

First, the Coffee Oatmeal Amber. A very well executed coffee beer (which would become a theme on this trip). As a homebrewer and beer lover, I know that coffee, though an interesting ingredient in beer, is difficult to execute. Most people just throw coffee in a stout where it gets drowned out by black patent and other highly roasted malts and/or increases roast bitterness to undesirable levels. I mean, its really the same thing. The roasting process is almost identical in coffee and malted barley. But this was a nice, clean amber beer with subtle malt sweetness undoubtedly from the usual amber malts. The coffee is added a couple of times during fermentation and aging (if I remember right. I forgot to take notes), sort of like “dry-hopping” for a delicious coffee aroma and flavor. Although there was no mistaking the in your face coffee flavor and aroma, it all balanced and blended very nicely. By far the best coffee beer I have ever had (not the last time you will see a statement like this from this trip).

Next is the Hiverrano American Wild Ale. I have to admit, I am heavy into sours right now. I blame Garrett Oliver…he makes them sound so good (The Brewmaster’s Table – Highly Recommend!!). Anyway, this is a great, mildly sour, very well balanced ale. The beer pours cloudy and almost pinkish red. Citrusy American hops lend perfectly to the fruity esters imparted by the wild yeast. And, at 9%, this is a perfect sipping beer. The nose and front end are sharply sour, with a nice clean finish. For a sour novice like myself, this was a very drinkable, refreshing beer. Plus, the “from scratch” chef and engineer in me just loves the fact that they captured and propogated their own wild yeast…actually…”hunny, can i buy a microscope?’

Soon, they announced last call and we wondered where to go next. After a bit of investigating on the ole smartphone, we found that there is a little brewery called Pateros Creek Brewing Co. whose taproom is open till 8:00. Bingo. Saddle up!!

Part II to follow shortly…

Alright stop, collaborate and listen…NOLA/Stone Beer-Pour Me Something Mistah

Posted on February 15, 2012 by brewsards

Everyone, although no doubt regrettably, knows those lyrics. But why collaborate? Does he even know what collaborate means? How does that even fit?…but I digress.

I know it has been a while, but I have vowed to try to keep up with this blog again for all of my fans… (crickets) LOL!!

Its no secret to those who know me that number 5 on my list of passions (right behind Family, hunting, food and LSU football) is, of course, beer. And not that clear, tasteless, bubbly crap we used to drink in dixie cups at our high school keggers. I’m talking malty, hoppy, heavy, intense, nectar of the gods deliciousness that is considered craft beer. Over the past 3-4 years, the “craft beer movement” as many have called it, has really taken Louisiana by storm. It seems that breweries, brewpubs, draught houses and the like are popping up all over our great state. But, this craft beer movement is nothing new to the rest of the country. It all started with Fritz Maytag at Anchor Brewing many many years ago and has blown through the U.S. countryside like the amber waves of grain that serve as its main ingredient. The movement has become so popular that some breweries, due to their unique styles and characteristics, have developed almost a cult following; i.e. Dogfish Head, Rogue Brewery, Sierra Nevada, New Belgium, Stone Brewing, Brooklyn Brewery and locally NOLA, Abita, and others. Fueled by their popularity, it has become popular amongst brewmasters to get together and do a collaboration brew created jointly by separate brewing minds. All of these collaborations are unique and most are really really good.

This past weekend, one of our Louisiana breweries, NOLA Brewing released their collaboration with Stone Brewing out of Escondido, California aptly named “Pour Me Something Mistah” for its release just a little more than a week before Mardi Gras. I had a chance to make the unveiling at The Barley Oak in Mandeville, LA this Sunday. The beer was billed as a “an 8% imperial porter with Steens molasses and local satsuma orange peels.” My first reaction as I took the first sip was exactly “It tastes like a Stone/NOLA collaboration.” Although I would put it more in the Cascadian Ale or Black IPA style rather than a porter, this beer caters to malt and hops lovers alike. Its dark brown color and almost copper head tell the tale of rich dark roasted malts and molasses. The nose carries beautiful roasted notes along with a hint of citrusy hops hiding in the background slightly magnified by the native Louisiana satsuma peel. The finish is slightly unbalanced to the bitter, giving the beer that punch on the back end that thrills true hop heads, and is a specific trait of almost all Stone brews. The smooth mouthfeel, low carbonation and fresh flavors are indicative of NOLA beers. The beer’s deep, dark heartiness make it perfect for these extra couple weeks of winter predicted by Puxatawney Phil a couple weeks ago.

One would have to assume that this brew will be in short supply, so I would suggest finding a local pub that is carrying this unique creation and give it a try before it is gone forever. (Two spots that I know have it are The Barley Oak on the lakefront in Mandeville, LA and The Avenue Pub on St. Charles Ave. in New Orleans, LA.)

Support your local breweries.

Brewsard…out

My Favorite Thanksgiving Dish – Pineapples Au Gratin

Posted on November 23, 2011 by brewsards

Hello friends. Thanksgiving has snuck up on us again and I can honestly say, I have soooooo very much to be thankful for this year. I mean I have a good job, a beautiful family, a (mostly) healthy body, great friends, my Tigers are in the National Championship hunt… I could go on and on. Of course, we all know and appreciate the true meaning behind Thanksgiving, right? I mean, if it weren’t for the generosity of those Native Americans, we probably wouldn’t be here today. Of course, not many years later, we returned that favor by all but wiping them off the face of the earth, but that’s my beef and a conversation for another day… Anyway, we celebrate by recreating the great feast of that day and reflecting on our good fortunes. BUT…lets face it. To most people, especially coon-asses, it is our favorite Holiday because of the food, right? Its all so wonderful. Oh, the turkey and cornbread dressing, green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, cranberry relish… my mouth is watering. I just about like them all. My family has never been guilty of being picky when it comes to food. They have also never been guilty of putting out a subpar product. This is evident every time I look in the mirror, lol. But almost every family has some unique offering that stands out amongst the rest. Well, for me, it is a simple, kind of strange, but always delectable dish called pineapples au gratin. That’s right boys and girls…Pineapples with cheese. Think it sounds gross? Well, I dare you to try it. Its something about the tart sweetness of pineapple with a salty sharp cheddar cheese…yum. Anyway, if you want to try something new this year that is really easy and de-freaking-licious, give this recipe a shot:

Ingredients:

1-pineapple peeled and diced (can replace with 1 can of diced pineapple drained)
1-roll of ritz crackers
1/4 cup of flour
1/4 cup of sugar
1 cup or so of sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 – 3/4 stick of butter cut into tabs

Directions:

Place pineapples in a small casserole dish and mix in about half of the cheese.
Mix flour and sugar and sprinkle over pineapples until all are coated.
Crush up crackers and sprinkle on top.
Spread the rest of the cheese on top.
Spread tabs of butter randomly on top.
Bake at 350 for about 15-20 minutes.

Sorry, no pictures. I’ll try to get some up next week.

Brewsard…out.

Pig in a Box

Posted on November 1, 2011 by brewsards

One of the best things about my parents’ new farm is the beautiful new venue to host parties. My family and I have always seemed to be natural hosts. We love to entertain, cook, socialize. Most of that comes with being coon-ass, I guess, but I know for me, personally, I have always enjoyed gathering up friends and family. The trouble for me is, I have never had the space, nor the venue. Well, the farm gives us all of that. With the rolling hills and woods for exploring on the golfcart, the stocked pond for fishing, the beautiful outdoor kitchen for cooking and gathering, the acres and acres of yard for outdoor games and animals, it’s just perfect.

Recently, we had the absolute pleasure of hosting a wedding shower for my best friend in the whole world (besides my wife and baby of course), Joe Richard who is marrying the lovely Miss Celyna Sigman, who we just adore. We were going through theme ideas and all I could think about was doing a whole pig in a cajun microwave. So, I suggested “Luau”. Why not? A cajun microwave is very similar to cooking in the ground. I mean, its the same basic principle. And, luau is perfect. The main thing is the pig. Whip up a few sauces (my specialty). Have a salad and a side or two. Make “boat drinks” and voila, luau.

So, I borrowed a cajun microwave from a good friend of mine, got a 50 # pig from a local meat market and away we went.

Below is a photographic step by step depiction of the process used. I must say, and I think everyone there would agree, it came out absolutely delicious. I guess I should warn you, some of the pictures are a little graphic, but its a whole pig. What do you expect?

Step 1 - Butterfly the Pig

The pig has to be butterflyed for proper cooking. The easiest way I find to do this is to have a big gorilla like Yankee friend who just pushes down and breaks the ribs right along the spine. You only have to break them on one side and either side is fine.

Step 2 - Inject

This step is actually optional. Since this is a whole pig, you may want to inject a little extra flavor. We used my homemade sweet and sour sauce. An excellent choice, but that recipe…in the words of Alton Brown…is another show.

Step 3 - Score the Skin

It’s a good idea to score the skin before seasoning/cooking. Not only does it help the seasonings to get into the meat, but it helps in the cooking process as well.

Step 4a - Rub

Step 4b - Rub

The reason I split step 4 into 2 pictures is that I wanted to stress the importance of rubbing the entire pig. You should rub all over, bottom and top. My seasonings of choice were 1- Steen’s Cane Syrup (you can see the jar in picture 4a) and 2- A generous helping of Old Bay Seasoning. And, when I say generous, we basically used a whole can. The Steen’s serves 2 purposes: first – it gives that sweet caramelization which is delicious, especially on pork; and second – it helps hold the dry rub on the pig.

Step 5 - Place in box

There she is. Ready to go. Notice in the bottom left leg, the digital thermometer. This is very important when slow cooking. There is no way to truly time this thing. You have to go by doneness and the best way to do that is to drill a hole in the side of your box and slip a digital thermometer probe through and into the pig. I would also like to point out that we moved the thermometer from the back leg to the front. After 3 hours of cooking, the hind quarter hit 160 degrees, and that just didn’t seem correct. So, we busted it open, set it in the front shoulder and it read 142. Lesson learned: Go with the front shoulder.

Step 6: Fill cover with charcoal and light

My dad probably won’t be happy about this, but I had to post this pic. This is how a coon-ass lights charcoal. Notice the large flame? Yes, that is a flame thrower that my dad is holding. In the immortal words of Tim Allen, “Uh uh uhhhh!!!” On a more technical note, besides the thermometer in the pig itself, there is a thermometer in the side of the box to monitor temperature inside the microwave. I like to keep it at about 225, very similar to operating a smoker. The key is, if you are too cool, pile the charcoal up. If you are too hot, spread them out.

Step 7 - Wait

By far the hardest step in this process. I think it took about 4.5 hours, but again, you should not go by time for this. Every box is different, every charcoal is different, every pig is different. Do yourself a favor and get a decent thermometer. They are worth every penny.

Step 8a - Check and Remove

Step 8b - Check and Remove

Once that beautiful baby hits about 165 F, you can go ahead and open the lid and check it. I like to poke it with the thermometer in a couple more places to see if it is done. If it is, go ahead and take it out and set it on your picking table.

Step 9a - Pick and Serve

Step 9b - Pick and Serve

Step 9c - Pick and Serve

Although this part is, by far, the most labor intensive, it is also, by far, the most rewarding. To be fortunate enough to indulge in this sweet, succulent god worthy fodder just after it is pulled from its cooking vessel is all the reward one could possibly need. The smell, the taste…absolutely heavenly. Plus, you get first crack at all the good stuff: the snout, the cheeks, the skin…absolutely delicious. And, of course, any meal is always better with a nice glass of Brewsard’s Oktoberfest (pic 9c), a wonderful combination.

I hope the dead pig doesn’t bother too many people and I hope this is helpful for some.

Brewsard…out!!

All of My Favorite Seasons Start in September

Posted on October 6, 2011 by brewsards

Ah…September. It has to be my favorite month of the year. So much anticipation almost to the point of anxiety. All of my favorite seasons start around September. There is the upcoming hunting season, for which I am particularly excited. Through a little bit of preseason sweat and dirt, we are finally set up properly at “the farm” with a new deer stand and proper positioning of the old one. The fall fishing season at the farm also appears promising with the bass and perch really starting to have some size to them. Of course, there is college football season with my Tigers every Saturday. And I’ll probably sneak in a Saints game or two. September is the first month that ends in -er, and we coon-asses know what that means…oyster season. O, and did I mention someone has a birthday in September?…ahem, its the 21st and I do accept gifts. But, by far, my favorite part of the month of September, as that first cool front cuts through those 100 degree days like a hot knife through butter…GUMBO SEASON!! That’s right, gumbo has a season. And, although I don’t always follow it strictly (sometimes I just want gumbo in July), nothing warms you to the core on those cold fall days like a hot bowl of roux’y chicken and sausage goodness. So, in honor of the action packed month of September, here is my almost perfect recipe for simple chicken and sausage gumbo. The best thing about this recipe is you can make the process as simple or involved as you want. Throughout the recipe, I’ll slip in my suggestions on “shortcuts”. Of course, the long way is always best, but time is precious, I know. Well. Without further adieu…

1- Whole fryer Chicken

1-Can of beer

2-3 tablespoons Steen’s cane syrup

2 lbs of your favorite smoked sausage

1- whole onion

1- green bell pepper

4- stalks of celery

2 gallons of water (approximate)

1/2 cup a. p. flour

1/2 cup vegetable oil

3 bay leaves

a handfull of chopped parsley or so

your favorite all purpose Cajun seasoning (I like old bay)

2 tablespoons gumbo file’ (if you like it)

Procedure:

Prepare the chicken drunken style. Open the beer and drink about half of it. (don’t you dare throw it out). This doesn’t have to be any special beer, although it doesn’t hurt. I recommend an amber beer like shiner bock or Abita (although you’ll have to use a different can and pour it in). VERY CAREFULLY, cut the top off of the beer and add cane syrup, 1 bay leaf, and some cajun seasoning to the beer. Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel and sprinkle with seasoning. Place chicken on beer can as shown in picture. (it helps if you have one of those stands) Cook in 400°F grill for 1-1.5 hrs until just about done, so its not quite falling off of the bone. Let cool.

NOTE Shortcut #1: If you want to skip this step, just get yourself a rotisserie chicken from your local grocery store. It works just fine.

Debone chicken and remove all the skin. Place all bones, carcass, and skin in a stock pot. Add the water until it covers the carcass and boil. (For those who don’t know, this is a basic chicken stock.) I like to use this method because a)I don’t like bones in my gumbo, but b) all the flavor is on the skin and in the bones. It takes a little time, but you get all of the flavor with none of the aggravation. Once all of the flavor has been rendered (about 2-4 hours) strain out stock into a bowl and put aside, discarding the bones and skin. This can be done the night before.

NOTE Shortcut #2: If you want to skip this step, (although it literally breaks my heart to suggest this) just get some chicken stock at the store. Its ok, but not the same. You will have to add more seasoning at the end. I’ll explain this a bit later.

Cut up your sausage into small bite size slices and place in your gumbo pot, preferably black iron. Brown over medium to medium high heat until you get a nice oil skin on the bottom of the pot. Once this is accomplished, remove sausage from pot and set aside. (Note: If you don’t have a black iron pot, get one please. It really makes a difference.)

The Roux- Ok, again, even though it breaks my heart to say this, if you feel like you must use the pre-packaged roux, I guess that is what you have to do. I must let you know though, it is easier than you think. You add the flour and oil to the pot. Stir the mixture until the flour and oil are completely mixed. Brown over medium heat, watching and stirring when needed so as not to burn, until it is the color of an old penny. It usually takes about 5-10 minutes depending on you stove and your pot. I will also say that black iron helps greatly in roux making because of the way it distributes heat. It is easy to burn a roux in a stainless steel pot, but almost impossible (if you watch it) to do in black iron. Another piece of advice is do not rush it. Set youreslf a little time to cook. You may even enjoy it. Also, some of you might be saying, “That’s not enough roux.” I, personally think that a gumbo should not be a thick, dark, over nutty, bisquy mess. I like my gumbo to be light and delicate to your eyes, but then bust you in the mouth when you aren’t looking.

NOTE Shortcut #3: If you must, use packaged roux, but would it kill you to try?

When the roux is the proper color, add the vegetables and stir in so that they are coated in the roux. The roux will clump around the vegetables, this is ok, just make sure it is well distributed. Sweat the vegetables until they are soft (about 20 minutes). If the roux starts to stick to the bottom, turn your fire down a bit and add some liquid. I like beer, of course because it is normally conveniently found resting comfortably in my right hand, but you can add water or some of the stock. Just a little bit, maybe .25 cup.

NOTE Shortcut #4: If you don’t like to chop vegetables, shame on you…Just joking. But if you don’t, just use a small container of a fresh cut seasoning mix like Guidry’s

When the vegetables are soft, add stock and bay leaves and stir. Let this simmer for about 15 minutes stirring occasionally.

Add sausage back in and add file’ and stir. Let simmer for about 30 minutes stirring occasionally.

Taste and season accordingly. You shouldn’t need much if you made homemade stock because of the seasoning that was on the chicken skin
I love Paprika

which transferred over to the stock. If you are doing the store boughtstock method, you will have to add.

Add chicken and let simmer for about 15 minutes. ( I add the chicken close to the end so that it doesn’t fall apart)

Serve on top of rice.

And, always remember, recipes are meant to be guidelines, not bible. So, customize this bad boy for you. If you like more roux, use more. If you like it spicy, add some cayenne. If you don’t like file’, leave it out. If you like tomatoes…wait. I can’t condone that. Don’t you dare put tomatoes in a gumbo. But, I can tell you, this is just the way I like it.

Ca c’est bon, mon amis.