BAM! Emeril’s Gumbo was the only option to kick off my Adventures in Cooking series!
Did anyone else read the BAM! in Emeril’s voice, while also picturing him throwing some spices into a large pot over the stove?
No?
Just me?
Don’t lie.
If you ever stayed home sick from school and flipped through your non-cable/satellite television options, chances are you stumbled upon one of Emeril’s cooking shows.
We’re talking pre-Food Network glory here. Muted colors, live studio audience, and all of the magic coming from the master himself.
Emeril Lagasse.
Who is Emeril Lagasse?
Emeril Lagasse is an American celebrity chef, restauranteur, cookbook author, host, and a regional James Beard Award winner.
Emeril has had many shows throughout the years, from Emeril Live and Essence of Emeril, appeared on popular shows like Top Chef, and Discovery Channel’s eco-lifestyle network Planet Green.
Emeril quickly became synonymous with catchphrases such as “BAM,” “Oh yeah, babe,” and “Kick it up a notch!” Hi jovial on-screen personality endeared him to viewers and even earned him the nickname of “Uncle Emeril” from some of the Top Chef contestants he mentored.
Although he was born in New England, Emeril is widely known for his “New New Orleans” style of cooking. Emeril uses Louisiana-native ingredients to create his own interpretation of Creole cuisine, drawing on influences from Asia, Portugal, and the Southwest.
Why Emeril’s Gumbo?
When my mom moved to Utah a few months ago, we decided we wanted to have monthly family dinners with my brother, sister and her husband and kids.
Fortunately, my sister is as extra as I am.
Instead of having a standard run-of-the-mill family dinner every month, and being Disney-lovers, we thought it would be fun to have themed dinners.
Every dinner would be themed after a Disney movie: we’d cook food either directly showcased in the selected movie or inspired by the movie, actors, or location. After dinner, we’d watch the movie, because hey, why not?
The first movie that came to mind was “The Princess and the Frog.”
From there, it was a short hop (see what I did there?) to Emeril’s Gumbo.
The Mysterious History of Gumbo
Out of all of the dishes that have risen from the South, gumbo is by-far the most popular, iconic, with mysterious origins. The origin history of gumbo is widely-speculated, and, quite frankly, only history nerds like myself would find the intricacies even remotely interesting.
So instead of retelling from start to finish, I’ll bullet out a few of the highlights:
The term “gumbo” is derived from a West African word for okra, which leads researchers to believe that the first recipes included okra.
Dr. Carl A. Brasseaux, the leading Cajun historian from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, discovered the first record of gumbo being served at a function, dating back to 1803.
“Authentic” and “traditional” recipes are extremely location-dependent. Gumbo is essentially a melting pot, created from whatever was available at the time.
The use of tomatoes in gumbo is a volatile subject. I am against the use of tomatoes, but again, it seems to be a personal preference all around.
Traditionally gumbo is served with rice, but that doesn’t appear to have always been the case. In the early 1800s, gumbo was often served with cornmeal mush.
To this day, passing down gumbo pots from one generation to the next is as sacred as the passing of heirlooms can get.
My Memories of New Orleans
Although I’ve mentioned my 2013 trip to New Orleans a few times in a variety of articles on this site, I have yet to sit down and actually write out a few articles dedicated exclusively to the trip.
As a creator and story-teller, I have the freedom to choose what I want to share and how to do so.
I made a lot of travel mistakes in my trip to New Orleans.
So many, in fact, that I still look back, shake my head, and wonder what I was thinking.
I did things that a lot of new travelers do, and each one was a massive learning experience.
After all, it was the first trip I planned and executed with friends.
My thoughts have been focused on the South for the better part of a year now. As a present for my mother for graduating college, I planned a trip to New Orleans to celebrate.
But…2020 happened and the flights were cancelled, hotels un-reserved, and plans put on hold indefinitely.
But my heart and mind never left New Orleans.
The food.
The music.
The history.
The atmosphere.
The architecture.
Laissez les bons temps rouler!
New Orleans was my first foray into the world of travel. It’s where I got my bite. It has become my travel birthplace.
Emeril’s Gumbo Recipe
There are so many variations of gumbo out in the world! Since I was making Emeril’s Gumbo for a family party, I took into consideration that some people don’t like seafood, which tends to be a popular inclusion in gumbo.
Of the numerous options I had from Emeril, I chose to make his Chicken and Smoked Sausage Gumbo.
Not only did I know the ingredients were going to be readily available in my area, but the recipe seemed to be fairly middle-ground: not too safe and bland, but not too out-there for some of our more…picky…eaters.
Roux is essential to any true gumbo recipe. A roux is simply a mixture of oil and flour, cooked down to the color of chocolate milk.
Also an item of note: although I have made my own chicken and beef stock before, I chose to use bouillon instead to cut down on the lengthy procedure.
Ingredients
- 1 rotisserie chicken, shredded
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup flour
- 3 onions, chopped
- 2 ribs celery, finely chopped
- 1/2 green bell pepper, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne, plus more to taste
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 1/2 pounds smoked sausage, preferably andouille, cut into 1/2″ rounds or half moons
- 1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced
- 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
- Salt to taste
- Cooked white rice, for serving
- Louisiana hot sauce, for serving
- Approximately 6 cups chicken stock/broth, cooled to room temperature or cooler
I also wanted to make fried okra to add as a topping, but couldn’t find any in the markets at this time of year.
Directions
*Quick tip for making gumbo: have all of your ingredients chopped and standing by, ready to go. Once the roux reaches the correct color, you’ll need to add the next ingredients quickly so as not to burn and ruin the roux.
Make the roux:
- In a large Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat.
- Whisk in flour and remove clumps.
- Cook, stirring constantly, scraping every nook of the pot.
- Keep stirring as the roux changes color. For this recipe, you want the roux to be dark – the color of chocolate milk.
- There is no set time for this to happen, as your cooktop and pot will determine the length of time needed. Once the roux starts to change color, it’ll darken quickly. Do not let the roux burn or scorch. If it does, you’ll have to start over as the roux will be ruined and unusable.
Once the roux is the color of chocolate milk, keep
- Once the roux reaches the correct color, add the chopped onions, celery, bell pepper, and minced garlic.
- Cook and stir until softened, approximately 5-7 minutes.
- Add stock/broth, cayenne, and bay leaves.
- Stir to combine and bring to a simmer.
- Simmer 2 hours until sauce is thickened and flavor developed.
- While simmering, saute sausage in a large skillet until browned on both sides.
- Add sausage to gumbo and continue simmering for the full 2 hours.
- After simmering, add chicken, chopped scallions, and parsley.
- Stir well and simmer another 30 minutes.
- Season with salt and additional cayenne to taste.
- Serve gumbo ladled over hot white rice, adding Louisiana hot sauce to your liking.
**Pro tip: you can always add more spice and heat to the gumbo, but you can’t take away what has already been added. Know who you’ll be serving and add accordingly.
Emeril’s Gumbo: The Verdict
There’s nothing more satisfying for a cook/baker than to watch someone thoroughly enjoy the food they prepared. What’s even better is watching them go back for seconds.
And that’s what happened.
After spending hours and hours cooking Emeril’s Gumbo, I was relieved to see the picky eaters in the family simply devour the gumbo…especially my 10 year-old niece. And she gets a little bit of clout because not too many kids her age in Utah have eaten gumbo.
The recipe makes a huge amount, and I was hoping to have more leftovers for lunches during the week. I honestly wasn’t counting on how much everyone was going to love it and sadly only had one bowlful of leftovers for the next day.
But that is definitely not a bad thing!
It’s such a compliment to have people love the food I give them. After all, feeding people is one of my love-languages.
Now that I’ve made this recipe to great success, Emeril’s Gumbo will definitely be making it into my repertoire of recipes, but possibly saved for the more special occasions, based on how long it takes to cook.
Have you ever eaten gumbo before? Are you an adventurous cook and made your own gumbo? Would you ever consider making Emeril’s Gumbo?
Sharing is caring! Please show some love by sharing on Pinterest, Facebook or Instagram! Thank you!
PIN ME
