Thick soup gumbo, resembling not so much soup as stew - a dish is very exotic and famous is not all. Homeland of the dishes - Louisiana gumbo soup and has already become a real symbol of Louisiana cuisine. Cook it yourself at home is relatively easy, but to achieve the desired flavor is desirable to use the traditional seasonings.

Louisiana Kitchen

When it comes to the American kitchen, most people imagine hamburgers, chips and the like primitive fast food. But, of course, in fact, far more American cuisine is rich and varied. Almost every state in the country has its own interesting culinary traditions, the remaining part of the indigenous population, and partly brought about by the first settlers.

There are traditions in Louisiana. The population of this state of non-uniform: in addition to representatives of the white race is home to a lot of African-Americans, descendants of black slaves from Haiti and Jamaica, as well as Hispanics. In the south of the state, in addition, a lot of Creole and Cajun - the descendants of the French, or rather, the Franco-Acadians. From alloy culinary traditions of all these nations, and Born specific Louisiana kitchen, a brilliant representative of which can be regarded as a thick and spicy gumbo soup.

Cajun cuisine is characterized by the extensive use of fresh produce, beans, spices, sweet and hot pepper sauces and a variety of brown. And the most famous dish of Cajun cuisine, Louisiana chefs glorified equally with mouth-watering Creole dishes - gumbo soup. However, this soup has spread also in the neighboring states and across the Gulf Coast.

Not just soup

Almost every nation has the recipes of soups, which, in fact, are the intermediary between the first and second courses, that is actually a soup and a stew. These thick soups applies gumbo (soup is sometimes also called "gumbo", but this name is less common). Thick and very satisfying mixture of meat (chicken, seafood) and vegetables is able to satisfy even the most hungry and tired man.

Gumbo recipes there are so many, and this fact clearly shows the national origin of the famous soup. Most often in the role of the main ingredients are the flour fried dishes (so-called "Roux sauce") and the traditional Creole seasoning - Sassafras (shredded dry leaves of laurel tree family). The composition of the "meat" of the dish can be varied: used pork, chicken, turkey, bacon Bacon - guide on meat , Variety of sausages, fish, shrimp, oysters and crabs. Vegetables can also be used are different: in the case are tomatoes, okra, celery Celery: vegetable with obvious advantages , Peppers, garlic, onions.

The most common recipes for gumbo with okra. According to some sources, the name of the dish is connected with the name of the African okra - okra. Young pods of the plants have a delicate, sensitive, slightly grassy taste vaguely reminiscent of green beans and zucchini. Okra thanks to its neutral taste goes well with a variety of products. And because of the high content gums okra is a natural thickener for many dishes. In addition, this plant is very helpful: okra pods regulate the gastrointestinal tract, restore power and beneficial effect on potency.

Cooking method

While gumbo soup recipes are many, they are fundamentally different from each other only by the ingredients, the method of preparing the same in most cases there is one.

The basis of meals is Roux sauce, which is nothing more than fried in oil until brown wheat flour. To prepare the sauce flour roasted in the same amount of hot grease (this may be a vegetable oil or animal fat, including of melted after roasting, for example, acute sausages). Constantly stirring the flour fried to a brown color and tasty flavor specific.

The next step - to add to the sauce Roux vegetables. It may be the onion, garlic, celery, green pepper and tomatoes in any combination. The most traditional combination of vegetables - is onions, celery and green pepper. Then add seasonings - powder sassafras leaves, parsley, thyme, cayenne pepper and others. The mixture is poured strong and nourishing broth, then stewed over low heat. At the end of cooking add to the dish of okra pods. After another ten minutes the dish is ready: it is served at the table together with rice, cooked separately. Rice poured directly into the soup plates.

Meat is added to the gumbo at the initial stage, for example, first fried pork, and then heated with fat in flour and saute stewed vegetables. If the soup is made with fish or seafood, which are also prepared in a matter of minutes, these ingredients are added to the dish at the end of cooking. There are recipes for vegetarian gumbo soup, in which part of the meat is replaced with green beans, and on Good Friday decided to cook gumbo soup with herbs.

It is interesting that often when cooking dishes mixed ease cook poultry meat with fish, seafood and, say, the sharp pork sausages or pork with lobster and oysters. Also sometimes gumbo with seafood cooked in the broth of pork Pork - meat guide   or chicken, gumbo and alligator meat add the fish. There are even recipes for soups, which include pork, seafood and fresh cream. This somewhat unexpected combinations, oddly enough, turn out quite harmonious.

This soup should be thick gumbo and spicy, so do not feel sorry for vegetables and spices, but the broth can be used quite sparingly. In the original density is achieved by using sassafras, but if you get this Cajun spice was not possible, you can just put in the soup a little more sauce Roux.

Maria Bykov

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