The Native-American Origins of Gumbo

So....no roux? Or is the file, the roux substitute?

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So....no roux? Or is the file, the roux substitute?

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The file' is used as the thickening agent in this dish, but it doesn't work as well as a good roux.

The sassafras is a unique tree. I have 4 on a fence line behind the house. They have three completely different shaped leaves on each tree.

the bark of the roots was the original flavoring for...root beer

The old timers would only pick the leaves on a full moon in August.

Neat. Gonna have to try this one

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You cook the onions for an hour and they become a roux of sorts.

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I make French Onion Soup the long method. I will use 3-4 lbs. of onions and slice them in 1/4 in. rings and brown them for over an hour.

Then I'll add a ladle of homemade beef stock to the onions and let that cook until it evaporates and repeat this one more time before adding the beef stock in quantity. That is some very rich onion soup when done.

Put it in a ceramic soup bowl, add some Swiss cheese on top and then put it in the broiler to melt and lightly brown the cheese, then toss in some homemade croutons on top and you're good to go.

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The shrimp goes in a little early don't you think?

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Thinking the same thing. Shrimp cook real quick and would lose some of their firmness cooked too long.

I'd put them in the last 10 minutes or less of the cook time.

I watched a John Folse show on PBS and I think it was that lady who cooked the gumbo you posted. I remember she cooked the dickens out of the shrimp, but that's the way many do it in that part of South Louisiana.

LINK

This is the recipe Folse has on his site. Just a little added instructions.



SHRIMP FILÉ GUMBO

Prep Time: 1 Hour
Yields: 12 Servings

Comment:
Janie Luster of the Houma nation is not only a great historian helping to preserve her culture, but also she, like her parents before, is a great cook. The Native Americans in her area made a gumbo using filé powder or the ground leaves of the sassafras tree as the thickening agent rather than the dark brown roux of the Cajuns and Creoles. A gumbo with no roux may sound strange at first, but I think you'll soon succumb to Janie's version

Ingredients:
3 pounds (50-60 count) fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined
8 tbsps filé powder or ground sassafras leaves, divided
3 tbsps vegetable oil
2 cups diced onions
1 cup diced celery
1 cup diced mixed, red, yellow and green bell peppers
2 tbsps minced garlic
3 quarts water or seafood stock
½ cup sliced green onion tops
¼ cup chopped parsley
salt and black pepper to taste
granulated garlic to taste

Method:
In a large cast iron pot, heat vegetable oil over medium-high heat, making sure the oil is hot. Add onions in several batches, stirring occasionally, and cook 5-10 minutes or until wilted and golden brown around the outer edges. Do not over-brown. Add minced garlic and cook until tender. Do not brown. Add shrimp in several batches, stirring well into the onion mixture. Add 2 tablespoons filé powder and stir constantly for 12-15 minutes or until shrimp are well cooked and reddish pink. It is important to achieve color on the shrimp otherwise the shrimp flavor will be missing from the dish. Add half of celery, half the bell peppers and 2 additional tablespoons filé powder. Cook 3- 5 minutes then add 3 quarts water and half of the green onions and parsley. Bring water to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add remaining green onions, parsley, celery and bell pepper. Season to taste using salt, black pepper and granulated garlic. Bring mixture to a rolling boil. Add 2 tablespoons filé powder, immediately turn off the heat and blend well. Adjust seasonings if necessary. Serve gumbo over cooked white rice with an additional sprinkle of filé as a garnish.

---Janie Verret Luster, Du Large, La.

From what I’ve gathered from reading about it, while it is also area dependent too, the use of roux (especially a large amount of it) seems to be more of an age thing.. in the sense that you see lots of roux in younger generations cooking vs. older folks.

Could just be coincidence that I’ve noticed that though.