If It's Mardi Gras, It's Time for Gumbo

The greatest contribution of Louisiana kitchens to American cuisine is gumbo, a classic Cajun and Creole dish central to the celebration of Mardi Gras.

In some parishes of Louisiana, masked and costumed riders participate in the "Courir du Mardi Gras", making the rounds of neighboring farms, performing "monkey shines" and dancing in return for a live chicken, a length of sausage, or rice for the evening's celebratory gumbo. Often the revelers have to catch the chicken before they can cook it.

No two gumbos are alike, and each is as good as the cook who makes it. Some prefer gumbo thickened with slow-cooked okra, others add filé powder (made from dried sassafras leaves) just before serving. Most add generous dashes of Louisiana's famous barrel-aged Original TABASCO® brand Pepper Sauce during cooking to enliven the flavor and supply just the right amount of heat.

Gumbo is neither a soup nor a stew, but a real meal in itself. The variety is endless – chicken and sweet sausage, shrimp, oyster, seafood, duck and andouille, cabbage, rabbit, even squirrel and turtle. There is also gumbo aux herbes, a melange of greens and herbs said to be created originally for Good Friday. Some superstitious Creoles believed that if one ate seven greens and met seven people on that day, good luck would follow on the coming year.

Great gumbo is not made in a hurry. One of the secrets of excellent chicken gumbo is the roux, a mixture of flour and oil slow-cooked in a heavy pot. It is stirred as it cooks, otherwise it might become too hot and burn. When the roux is a darkish brown, after about 30 minutes, it is taken off the heat and hot water is added to stop the browning.

Many Louisiana cooks buy fresh okra by the sack in the summer, cook it for several hours, then freeze it for winter use. If making gumbo with fresh sliced okra, cook it until it is no longer slimy, about 45 minutes, before adding the other ingredients. Never use okra and filé in the same dish – their flavors cancel each other out. If making a gumbo with seafood, add it at the last minute so it doesn't overcook.

A steaming pot of gumbo is a great party dish. Serve it with a mound of cooked white rice in the center of each bowl, accompanied by French bread, potato salad and green salad. Be sure to have a bottle of Original TABASCO® brand Pepper Sauce handy to sprinkle on a little extra heat. End the meal with traditional king cake and beverages, and laissez les bon temps rouler!