Cooking For Engineers

[richarde@charter.net]

I would really like to print this but only page 1 prints. (This is true of all recipes on your website.) Any suggestions?

[Michael Chu]

There's a bug in Internet Explorer which doesn't print the rest of the pages. Until I get a chance to rebuild the site, please use the Printer Friendly link (at the bottom of each article before the comments begin) to modify the layout slightly to support printing on IE.

[TnHiker]

I found this recipe to be very tasty but perhaps in need of a bit of thickening which I solved by adding some toasted flour I'd dissolved in cold water. Also, I slightly modified the procedure for addition of the sausage to get a happy compromise between salty, smoky taste and light, not-so-salty soup-like taste. Here is how I modified the recipe:

I added about 2/3 of the browned sausage at the start of the simmer process and the last 1/3 about 5 or 10 minutes prior to serving. This resulted in a not-too-salty taste but one that still had nice aromas from the long-simmered sausage pieces.

At the end of the simmering process I found the end result to be thinner than what I wanted (still very water-like). I used a "quick roux substitute" method I'd read about on another cooking website for cajun dishes which was to brown all-purpose flour in a skillet over medium heat until the flour was a nice amber color (light brown). For this recipe I used about 1/2 cup of flour which I added to the gumbo in two steps by dissolving the flour into just enough cold water to make a batter-like mix. Another few minutes of cooking the gumbo at a low boil cooked the "faux roux" enough to thicken and develop the taste. Perhaps next time I'll add more okra up front to minimize the need for thickening with flour (I had weighed-out the correct amount of okra prior to addition).

The end result was very delicious. I've had lots of gumbo dishes throughout the gulf coast region and this one holds its own with most of the better ones and is much better than many. I used Hillshire Farms smoked sausage for my gumbo and cut it into a 1/2 inch dice before sauteing. The okra was fresh picked from my garden.

[Guest]

Just found your site also....way to go guy, you may just make a cook out of this old man. I tried your pork back ribs last week and they were awesome. BS

[hubby11]

I was curious if one could really do a microwave roux and it turns out you can. I don't think it is any faster than on the stove top, but it is definitely easier, safer, and with less cleanup. I used 1 minute bursts but I have read you can go up to 5-6 minutes without stirring. Try doing that on the stove top!


SteveH

[kpc]

This is a fantastic soup! I've prepared it three times, and the last time I included shrimp. Wow! Everyone who has sampled this soup absolutely loves it. Thanks so much for sharing this recipe.

[olesurfdog]

The roux is a mater of taste, from caramel to dark mahogany in color try and taste the difference, then choose the one you like. It is the foundation, and it is all about taste. File powder (basically ground sassafras leaves) can be used at the table to thicken, and is customary in some NO eateries.

Also, save some of the trinity (celery onion and bell pepper) to be add uncooked toward the end of the cooking process for a crisp and colorful surprise.

Lastly the original recipe was to make QUICK Okra Soup not create a true Gumbo which takes time. The words quick and Gumbo probably should not be used in the same sentence.

[KoKo the Talking Ape]

Why don't you brown the chicken in the pan with oil first? It will give a roasted flavor to the chicken, rather than boiled. It will also give the stew a better color. The stew per the recipe looks pale and uncooked.