How much gumbo file to use?
Yield: Yields about 4 quarts. Servings: eight to ten. Do not add filé powder to the entire pot of gumbo. If gumbo is reheated with filé powder in it, the filé will become stringy and unpleasant. Heat a heavy-duty 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until hot, 1 to 2 minutes.
What does file do for gumbo?
What Is File Powder?
- Cooking History. Powdered sassafras leaves were first used in cooking by the Choctaw Indians of the Southern U.S. ...
- Name Origin. The word filé comes from the French "filer", which means "to spin threads." Indeed, filé powder, if added to the stew during cooking, does become thick and stringy ...
- Buying Filé. ...
Where to buy gumbo file?
Where To Buy File Powder You can find file powder in the seasoning section of most well-stocked grocery stores. Use up withing 6 months for best flavor and potency. It can also be purchased online at Amazon: Zatarain's Gumbo File
When do you add the file powder to gumbo?
You could argue with people from Louisiana for years about the proper way to make gumbo. I assume what you're asking here is do you need file powder in that recipe in order to thicken up the gumbo and the answer to that is no. The roux will do plenty of thickening on it's own and a mere teaspoon won't do any thickening anyway.
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Why is it called gumbo file?
Name Origin The word filé comes from the French "filer", which means "to spin threads." Indeed, filé powder, if added to the stew during cooking, does become thick and stringy and could ruin an otherwise delicious gumbo.
What is filé for gumbo made from?
sassafras leavesA traditional ingredient in gumbo, filé is a powder made from dried and ground sassafras leaves. It's similar in function to okra, part seasoning, part thickening agent. "When there wasn't okra available, they'd use filé," Lionel explained.
Is gumbo a filé sassafras?
Sometimes just called filé powder for short, powdered sassafras leaf is a cornerstone ingredient of Cajun cooking, especially classic gumbo. It was originally used by cooks in the Choctaw tribe as a thickener and flavoring.
Is filé powder necessary for gumbo?
While you can certainly make gumbo without it, we like the spice's earthy, slightly floral flavor. If you can't find filé powder at a supermarket or gourmet store, order it from penzeys.com.
What can I use instead of filé powder?
Alternatives to filé powder - Gumbo File Powder SubstituteCornstarch. Cornstarch is one of life's little miracles. ... Arrowroot powder. Arrowroot powder is another neutral thickener that will give your gumbo the swirling, thicker heart you're used to, without using filé powder. ... Okra. Now you're talking about tradition. ... Roux.
Is filé powder illegal?
To be clear, the leaves of the sassafras tree do not contain enough safrole to be banned, so filé powder is fine for consumption and sale.
Is sassafras illegal?
Well, sassafras and sarsaparilla both contain safrole, a compound recently banned by the FDA due to its carcinogenic effects. Safrole was found to contribute to liver cancer in rats when given in high doses, and thus it and sassafras or sarsaparilla-containing products were banned.
What tree does filé come from?
sassafrasFile' is ground sassafras (Sassafras albidum) leaves. Sassafras is a small inconspicuous deciduous tree. The tree usually grows to 20 to 30 feet tall, however some specimen may get much taller under ideal growing conditions. Sassafras has light green to medium dark green leaves.
What is a sassafras tree look like?
0:152:04How to Identify Sassafras - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipYou'll have a regular regular single lobe. And then the most distinctive I think for these is thisMoreYou'll have a regular regular single lobe. And then the most distinctive I think for these is this leaf right here. That's what I call the oven mitt leaf looks like an oven mitt.
How do I make a filé seasoning?
InstructionsCut small branches from a sassafras tree in fall before the leaves start turning color.Wash the leaves. ... Remove the dried leaves from the stems, discarding the stalks.Crush the leaves by hand, then grind in a clean coffee grinder until a fine, green powder is formed.
Where do sassafras trees grow?
Sassafras is native from southwestern Maine west to New York, extreme southern Ontario, and central Michigan; southwest in Illinois, extreme southeastern Iowa, Missouri, southeastern Kansas, eastern Oklahoma, and eastern Texas; and east to central Florida (8).
Does gumbo filé add flavor?
File powder smells like eucalyptus or Juicy Fruit gum, and has a distinctive "root beer" flavor. The earthy taste of file powder is similar to thyme combined with savory. File powder will lend a unique flavor to stews, sauces and other hearty dishes.
What does Gumbo mean in cooking?
There is an outside chance that by "gumbo" Mrs. Fisher meant dried and powdered okra, which appears in a few scattered recipes in the 19th century, but it's far more likely that she was talking about filé powder. Filé powder. Julia Frost, Flickr.
What is gumbo soup?
Eliza Leslie's Directions for Cookery (1840) includes recipes for both "Gumbo Soup," which incorporates "a round of beef" along with the okra and tomatoes, and just plain "Gumbo," the traditional stewed okra and tomatoes, which she describes as "a favourite New Orleans dish.". More common than beef in gumbo, though, was chicken.
What is ochra gumbo?
There's "Ochra Gumbo" with cut okra stewed in beef broth seasoned with just salt and pepper and served with "dry boiled rice. ". Her "Chicken Gumbo" is made of chicken fried until brown, then added to a soup kettle with sliced okra and onions, covered with water, and simmered.
What is oyster gumbo soup?
And finally, there's "Oyster Gumbo Soup," which also starts with browned chicken simmered in water, but instead of okra, a quart of fresh oysters are added with their liquor and, at the very end, "one tablespoon of gumbo.".
Is "gombo" a French word?
In the 1840s, when okra was just starting to be grown widely outside the coastal South, newspaper ads commonly offered seeds for "Okra or Gombo.". "Gombo" is still the French word for okra today. The roots of gumbo do run deep in Louisiana.
Is Gumbo a Louisiana dish?
Though well entrenched in Louisiana, gumbo was by no means a dish unique to that region. Indeed, during the colonial era and the early 19th century, similar okra-based stews and soups could be found anywhere a large number of enslaved Africans and their descendants lived—and, in fact, those dishes can still be found there today.
Does gumbo start with broth?
Of all the variations on gumbo out there, none of them start with broth in a pot, and even today fin-fish are almost never part of the dish. 19th century recipes make clear that okra and tomatoes were the original base ingredients, and the first protein that consistently found its way into the pot was chicken.
What is roux used for in Gumbo?
The roux is used with okra or filé powder. Seafood is popular in gumbo the closer to the water the people are, but the southwestern areas of Louisiana often use fowl, such as chicken or duck, and sausage. The fowl is generally not deboned, and onions, celery, and bell pepper are not strained out of the dish.
What are the main ingredients in Gumbo broth?
Thickeners. Okra pods. Sassafras leaves, source of filé powder. Gumbo broth or gravy derives from three primary thickeners: okra, filé powder, and roux. Traditionally, okra and filé powder are not used in the same dish, although this rule is sometimes broken.
What is gumbo made of?
Gumbo consists primarily of a strongly-flavored stock, meat or shellfish, a thickener, and the Creole "holy trinity" ― celery, bell peppers, and onions. Gumbo is often categorized by the type of thickener used, whether okra or filé powder (dried and ground sassafras leaves). Gumbo can be made with or without okra or filé powder.
How long does it take to cook gumbo?
Gumbo is cooked for a minimum of three hours, and often simmers all day. Meat (but not seafood) is often browned beforehand and removed from the heat. Okra and roux are cooked before other vegetables and seafood. Okra is removed from heat when it reaches the desired consistency, while roux remains in the pot. Seasoning vegetables are then added to the sauce. When these have turned to mush (more commonly called cooked down ), the meat and okra are added to the pot along with water or stock, then boiled uncovered until the desired tenderness of the meat is reached. Seasonings, including red, black, and white pepper, bay leaves, thyme, hot sauce, and salt, are added to taste. According to Nobles, "proper seasoning of gumbo is essential, and in Louisiana adding just the right zing is considered an art". Because seafood cooks fairly quickly, it is not added to the pot until the end of the process. As the gumbo finishes cooking, green onions and parsley are sometimes sprinkled on it. When desired, filé powder is added last.
What is gumbo in Louisiana?
Gumbo is a veritable art form in Louisiana. There are as many gumbo recipes as there are cooks. — Stir the Pot: The History of Cajun Cuisine, p. 135. Gumbo is a heavily seasoned soup or stew that combines several varieties of meat or seafood with a sauce or gravy.
What is added to gumbo?
Sausage or ham is often added to gumbos of either variety. After the base is prepared, vegetables are cooked down, and then meat is added. The dish simmers for a minimum of three hours, with shellfish and some spices added near the end. If desired, filé powder is added after the pot is removed from heat.
When was Gumbo invented?
The first written references to gumbo appear in the early 19th century. In 1802, John Sibley described "the dish they call gumbo which is made principally of the ochre into a thick kind of soop [ sic] & eat with rice, it is the food of every body for dinner and supper." The following year, French governor Pierre Clement de Laussat hosted a soirée in which 24 different gumbos were prepared. According to author Cynthia Lejeune Nobles, these two events "give clues to gumbo's Spanish colonial popularity and illustrate that the dish could be both humble and refined".
What is a filé gumbo?
Filé is used both for thickening and for flavor. It is usually added to a gumbo just before serving, or at the table. Many okra gumbos also incorporate a brown roux and some roux-based gumbo contain a small amount of okra, often cooked until it virtually dissolves.
Where did gumbo originate?
Gumbo is often cited as an example of the melting-pot nature of Louisiana cooking, but trying to sort out the origins and evolution of the dish is highly speculative. The name derives from a West African word for okra, suggesting that gumbo was originally made with okra.
What is gumbo made of?
A New Orleans gumbo, the book maintains, “can be made of scraps of cold meat or fowl, a few oysters, crabs or shrimps, and, with a couple of spoonfuls of well cooked rice, is a very satisfying and economical dinner.”. The editors include several recipes for gumbo, one of which incorporates filé (spelled “fillet” in the book).
Where is the World Championship Gumbo Cookoff held?
A good place to sample an astonishingly wide range of gumbos is the World Championship Gumbo Cookoff that is held each October in New Iberia.
Where was Gumbo served?
In 1803, gumbo was served at a gubernatorial reception in New Orleans, and in 1804 gumbo was served at aCajun gathering on the Acadian Coast. Today, the gumbos people are most familiar with are seafood gumbo and chicken and sausage gumbo. But that merely scratches the surface of gumbo cookery, both historical and contemporary.
Why do men build gumbo?
Some men use the phrase “build a gumbo” to describe what they are doing, and the occasion demands a good supply of iced beer. If there is an audience, so much the better. On the other hand, for women and men who cook on a daily basis, making a gumbo is more routine, if no less important.
When was gumbo first served?
Brasseaux, of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, who has written the definitive history of the Cajuns, found that the first documented references to gumbo appeared around the turn of the 19th century. In 1803, gumbo was served at a gubernatorial reception in New Orleans, and in 1804 gumbo was served at aCajun gathering on ...
A brief history of filé powder
Everywhere sassafras grows, Native Americans used various parts of the tree for food and medicine, long before the arrival of Europeans.
Step 1. Identify sassafras trees near you
First, you have to know what a sassafras tree looks like. Here’s how to identify a sassafras tree:
Step 2. Sustainably harvest your sassafras leaves
When should you harvest sassafras leaves for making into filé powder? Any time the tree has green leaves, you can harvest them for making into filé powder.
Step 3. Dry your sassafras leaves
You want sassafras leaves to be green but crunchy dry before processing them into filé powder. We use a 9-tray Excalibur dehydrator turned to ~100°F (38°C) overnight to dry our leaves.
4. Powder your sassafras leaves into filé powder
How fine do you want your filé powder to be? A high quality commercial filé powder is just that: a powder. This was traditionally done with a large mortar and pestle.
5. Store your filé powder in airtight spice jars
Finally, transfer your finished filé powder to labeled spice jars (with name of spice + date processed). For larger quantities, ziplock bags or large canning jars will work fine too.
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Overview
Gumbo (Louisiana Creole: Gombo) is a soup popular in the U.S. state of Louisiana, and is the official state cuisine. Gumbo consists primarily of a strongly-flavored stock, meat or shellfish, a thickener, and the Creole "holy trinity" ― celery, bell peppers, and onions. Gumbo is often categorized by the type of thickener used, whether okra or filé powder (dried and ground sassafras leaves).
Etymology
The name of the dish comes most likely from Africa by way of Louisiana French. Scholars and chefs have offered various explanations for the etymology of the word "gumbo". The dish was likely named after one of its two main ingredients, okra or filé. In the Niger–Congo languages spoken by many enslaved people from West Africa, the vegetable okra was known as ki ngombo or quingombo; the word is akin to the Umbundu ochinggômbo and the Tshiluba chinggômbô "okra". I…
Variations
Gumbo is a heavily seasoned stew that combines several varieties of meat or seafood with a sauce or gravy. Any combination of meat or seafood can be used. Meat-based gumbo may consist of chicken, duck, squirrel, or rabbit, with oysters occasionally added. Seafood-based gumbo generally has shrimp, crab meat, and sometimes oysters. Andouille sausage is often added to both meat and seafoo…
History
Gumbo is often used as a metaphor for the mix of cultures that exist in southern Louisiana. The dish combines the culinary practices of Africans, Native Americans, French, and Spanish. In the 18th and 19th centuries, people from these cultures lived within a fairly small area with minimal mobility. In this environment, cultures could influence each other and meld to create new traditions and cuisine.
Preparation and serving
Gumbo is cooked for a minimum of three hours, and often simmers all day. Meat (but not seafood) is often browned beforehand and removed from the heat. Okra and roux are cooked before other vegetables and seafood. Okra is removed from heat when it reaches the desired consistency, while roux remains in the pot. Seasoning vegetables are then added to the sauce. When these have turned to mush (more commonly called cooked down), the meat and okra are …
Social aspects
In Cajun Foodways, C. Paige Gutierrez describes gumbo as "an economical dish" useful for "feed[ing] a large number of people with a small amount of meat or seafood". Nobles concurs that "one of the hallmarks of gumbo is that, with a big enough pot, it can easily be doubled or tripled and is always a good choice to feed a crowd". With this dish, cooks can use up small portions of various ingredients that were not sufficient for an individual meal. The dish is an efficient way t…
See also
• Cuisine of New Orleans
• List of regional dishes of the United States
• List of stews
Bibliography
• Bienvenue, Marcelle; Brasseaux, Carl A.; Brasseaux, Ryan A. (2005). Stir the Pot: The History of Cajun Cuisine. Hippocrene Books. ISBN 978-0-7818-1120-0.
• Brasseaux, Carl A. (1987). The Founding of New Acadia. Louisiana State University Press. ISBN 978-0-8071-2099-6.
• Davidson, Alan; Jaine, Tom, eds. (2006). The Oxford Companion to Food. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-280681-9.
Cuisine
Origin
- Gumbo is often cited as an example of the melting-pot nature of Louisiana cooking, but trying to sort out the origins and evolution of the dish is highly speculative. The name derives from a West African word for okra, suggesting that gumbo was originally made with okra. The use of filé (dried and ground sassafras leaves) was a contribution of the ...
Discovery
- Dr. Carl A. Brasseaux, of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, who has written the definitive history of the Cajuns, found that the first documented references to gumbo appeared around the turn of the 19th century. In 1803, gumbo was served at a gubernatorial reception in New Orleans, and in 1804 gumbo was served at aCajun gathering on the Acadian Coast.
Variations
- In some respects, putting gumbo into either an okra or a filé category is still valid, but for many cooks, a brown roux is the only thickener, and filé has virtually disappeared from their recipes. Often roux-based gumbos do incorporate filé, and to my taste they are the better for it. Filé is used both for thickening and for flavor. It is usually added to a gumbo just before serving, or at the tab…
Controversies
- If all those variations arent confusing enough, there are also raging controversies over what constitutes a proper gumbo roux. Roux, of course, is flour that has been browned in oil or some other fat. Both cooks and eaters have their own opinions on how dark the roux should be and how much should be used in a gumbo. There is no agreement on these matters, as anyone who has t…
Preparation
- Although the New Iberia event requires that contestants cook their own roux on site, the rest of us are not so constrained. For some years, commercially prepared rouxs have been available, and they are a great convenience item. Dry rouxs consisting of only browned flour are also commonplace on grocery shelves and are popular with those who wish to reduce their consump…
Variants
- A contemporary variant on that theme is the experience of Dr. Monty Rizzo, a New Iberia physician and an excellent cook who hunts game in Africa. On a safari in Tanzania, he taught the cooks to make a gumbo with the doves his party had shot that day. The cooks had already proved their soup-making skills with a cream of peanut soup and a Cape buffalo tail soup, but gumbo was un…
Quotes
- Im convinced that part of gumbos virtue, aside from its deliciousness, is that the dish is very forgiving of the cook. Measurements do not have to be exact, ingredients may be changed to use what is on hand, and unless the diners are so set in their ways that they cant appreciate change, the result will be quite good.
Example
- Consider the options as set forth in a gumbo recipe that appeared in the New Orleans City Guide, which was published in 1938. It is a fairly basic recipe for a gumbo made with crabs, shrimp, and oysters. At the end of the instructions is this advice: