Ready to Cook

Let’s Get Detailed:

Step 1: Brine and Roast a Whole Chicken. 

Mamma used to boil her chicken and then use the liquid as the stock for the gumbo. We ain’t going to do that (sorry mamma). We’re going to roast that chicken and then use the deboned and roughly cut meat in our gumbo. 

First, we are going to brine the chicken for a few days before we create our Gumbo. Then we are going to roast that chicken. Here’s the neat part: you can roast the chicken a day or so before you make your gumbo. It’s all good. 

And, if you have a hunkerin’ for some gumbo and haven’t any brined, roasted chicken…then you can bypass the brining and just roast a chicken. Another quick fix are those rotisserie chickens down at the market. They will work in a pinch.

I have an article on brining chicken (and meats in general). Very detailed and yet to-the-point:

Hot Brine Method: https://beerandiron.com/basic-beer-brine-recipe

Cold Brine Method: https://beerandiron.com/how-to-beer-brine-whole-chicken

How to Roast a Whole Chicken: https://beerandiron.com/simple-roasted-chicken

Step 2: Debone that chicken and have it at the ready.

After you have roasted your chicken, let it cool to a point where you ain’t gonna be hollering “Sam Hill!” when you grab ahold of those hot parts of that chicken. Then, cut the chicken meat up into larger, mouth-sized portions.

Step 3: Cut everything up and measure everything out. Have it at the ready.

Cut up the onion and mince the garlic. Keep these two in one bowl. In another bowl, store your prepared celery, bell pepper, and the tomatoes.

Also, slice up the Andouille Sausage in to round medallions. If you don’t have andouille sausage, you can experiment with other sausages. Andouille is preferred but your gumbo will be delicious with other sausages.

Measure your oil and flour for your Roux. Measure the filé and thyme and have it ready.

Step 4: Sear the Andouille Sausage Medallions. 

In a 5-quart cast iron Dutch oven over medium to medium high heat, sear (brown) your andouille sausage. Andouille is pretty fat self-sufficient; we often don’t add any oil to the pan. But, if your andouille is looking sorta on the slim side, add a bit of oil or bacon grease to the bottom of that Dutch oven. No worries.

Once all the medallions are browned/seared on both sides, remove them from the pot and set aside. 

You can substitute other sausages if you can’t find any andouille sausage. Again, no worries.

Step 5: Make a Roux.

I said there was only one rule earlier…I told a fib…there’s two. You really can’t have a gumbo without a roux. Well you can; many early, pre-World War II gumbos were created without roux. Here’s a VERY COOL link to a 1922 cookbook called The Picayune Creole Cookbook. https://openlibrary.org/books/OL6643212M/The_Picayune_Creole_cook_book. (Let me know if the link isn’t working).

Using a separate, small skillet, over medium high heat, create your roux to a red / dark roux. 

Here’s how to make a roux: https://beerandiron.com/roux 

The dark or red roux created here really won’t add to the thickness of the gumbo…this roux is for FLAVOR! We create the roux in a separate pan and add it later and we add a lot less roux to our gumbo recipe than other recipes. 

Step 6: Sauté the onions and garlic.

One of the reasons we add the roux to the pot later is because of this step.

We’ve seared/browned our andouille sausage medallions and the pan will have all that andouille sausage fat and bits and pieces of that andouille sausage in the bottom of that pan. The onions and garlic (we add them together) will aid in deglazing and pull that flavor right off the bottom of that pot.

We wait to add the roux. The roux would have to be created before putting the other ingredients…at least after the sausage searing step…and onions do not sear well in roux…not at all. That’s my experience.

Step 7: Toss in the bell peppers, celery, tomatoes, and sausage.

Once the onions are a bit translucent, toss in the chopped bell pepper, diced celery, and cut up tomatoes. Sauté all this for just a bit. Not long, just a bit.

Turn the heat down to low or medium low as we add the rest of the ingredients.

NOTE: if you want to add okra to the pot, now’s the time.

Step 8: Add the Roux.

If your roux has been sitting for a bit, it may have started to separate. Mix it back to a nice and creamy consistency and add the roux to the pot. 

Mix everything up real good and level things off in that pot. We want them level because we are going to add the liquid to the pot just to the level of the ingredients and don’t want anything piled up too high.

Step 9: Add the beer and broth…one or the other or both.

Add about 12-16 ounces of beer to the pot just up to the level of the ingredients in the pot. If the liquid is not up to where you want it to be, add some broth, more beer, or even water to get it up to the level.

Use a mild lager or low IBU (International Bitterness Unit) beer. Basically, less-bitter the better. Avoid flavored beers and sours.

There is this Jalapeño beer…an IPA…in Baker City Oregon at Barley Browns that I am going to growler up the next time I pass through that beautiful town…I have been wanting to try that beer with its mild spiciness with this recipe. 

You can add just beer alone if you like, but we often will have created a beer bone broth to add to our soups, stews, chilis…and GUMBO! Here’s how to make a beer bone broth: https://beerandiron.com/beer-and-chicken-bone-broth

Broth from a box or can will work too. 

Step 10: Get it all up to a Simmer.

Turn the heat back up to medium and give everything a good stirring up. Put the lid on the pot and bring the gumbo up to a simmer.

Step 11: Add the filé and the thyme.

Once things are simmering, add the filé, thyme, and any other spices you want to add. Then stir everything up very well.

Some folks add the filé after the cook and at the table for a filé flavor. The thickening agent in this gumbo recipe IS the filé. Ain’t no body got no time for no soup-thin gumbo; we need a thick, stew-like consistency with some body to it.

Okra is a thickener and often used along with filé in the gumbo.

A note on the sliminess:

Filé and okra are considered thickeners. But filé and okra do not thicken the same way as flour or cornstarch. Not at all.

The one thing to make note of when adding okra or filé or both to this recipe: watch for the “thickness that runs kind of ‘stringy-like’ (stringy…spin or spun) when scooped with a spoon and allowed to drip back into the bowl.” Folks, when I say, “stringy-like” what I am actually referring to is the “sliminess.” Yes, your gumbo can be too thin and soup-like…and there is gumbo that is too stringy or slimy. If this is a concern, then cut the 3 tablespoons of filé down to two. Make note of your filé (and okra if you are adding) amount and adjust on future gumbo cooks.

If the texture is not to your liking but you love the flavor of filé, then cut the filé powder during the cook and garnish your gumbo with some dry filé at the table.

Adding some spicy for a bit of zing is A-OK. I like spicy but not too spicy. We usually don’t add hot stuff in the pot; we add it at the table. Here are two ingredients that will give your gumbo a pleasant kick:

(Affiliate)

Tabasco Brand Pepper Sauce: https://amzn.to/3JL4FTH 

Slap Ya Mama Cajun Seasoning from Louisiana: https://amzn.to/3ZRnxpN 

Step 12: Check for Saltiness and Add Salt if Needed.

There are so many things that can influence the saltiness of this gumbo…the brined chicken meat, the beer, the broth, and just the natural salt hints that exist in many ingredients. 

Use a spoon to gather some of the broth and just broth. Sample the liquid. Is it salty to the point you like salty to taste? Yeah? Then you’re done with all the ingredients. 

If not, then add salt to the pot and stir it in very well. Return the pot to a simmer and wait a few minutes before checking again (no less than 5 and a bit more is A-OK). 

If we check it right away, the initial salt we added hasn’t blended yet. Give it time to become part of the gumbo then sample again.

Want to know more about salting: https://beerandiron.com/salt-to-taste 

By the way, now’s a good time to put some rice on in a separate pot. Don’t cook the rice in with the gumbo. Cook the rice in a separate pot to add to the gumbo later.

Step 13: After a bit of Simmering, Check the Saltiness Again.

Check the salt again. If it’s where you need it to be then great! If not, add a reserved amount (no more than 1 teaspoon or less at a time). Then, wait a bit and check again.

Then, Bon appétit! 

Once the pot has thickened up (this will not take long), then check the bell peppers and celery. Are they done to the doneness you like? Then you are ready to eat. 

Enjoy this gumbo over or under a bit of rice…rice is the way to go…trust me. We like to use a large spoon and scoop out a bit of rice and pop it on the top of our gumbo.

Garnish as you like.

If you are adding shrimp to the gumbo, it’s always a good idea to add it at the end of the cook and let the gumbo “cook” the shrimp. Some folks add whole shrimp for some flavor, and that’s perfect but add whole shrimp in earlier in the cook; whole shrimp takes longer to cook than peeled shrimp tails. Peeled shrimp tails are added right as you turn the heat off. Mix the shrimp in the hot gumbo and let the hot gumbo cook the shrimp. Do this towards the end and once the shrimp is done, your gumbo is done.

Note: Shrimp is optional. If you do add shrimp to your gumbo, only had a small handful; adding too much shrimp to your hot gumbo will cool it down too much and the shrimp will not fully cook.

If you are adding any seafood or other ingredients, then cook until all the ingredients are cooked to a safe temperature.

Time To Cook

Let’s Create a Brine

First, we’ll discuss the steps. Then, later in the article, we’ll discuss the fine points of brining. I have two methods of brining. This one uses heat. My other recipe does not use heat to create the brine. I use the heat method when I am adding herbs, spices, or other ingredients I really want the brine to be saturated with. The cold method is the easy, no-heat method of creating a brine…easier, yes. Better? Not really; they both have their place.

First, let’s get the how-to covered and then we’ll discuss the why-to. If you need to know more about brine and the brining process, I’ll offer that information later. I kinda figured you are here for the how-to more so than the why-to.

This brine recipe is a template only. Once you get the basic brining method down, then you can use this template recipe to create 1000s of different brine “flavors” or varieties.

This recipe will create a 36-ounce batch of brine. It will be very simple and will include garlic and a few herbs. This is not a recipe; it’s a TEMPLATE. The “flavor” of your brine depends on what you are cooking.

If you are only creating a beer brine without adding anything else, I suggest you create your brine using my “cold” method. Here’s the link: https://beerandiron.com/2023/01/how-to-beer-brine-whole-chicken.

The video presents this recipe with 36-ounces of brine created WITH herbs and garlic. All in all, 36-ounce brines are relatively small amounts compared to most brine recipes. We’re using beer to create these brines and using a zipper bag to reduce the needed volume of brine to keep the meat submerged.

Before you get started, you will need to prepare for these things:

1. The beer will form a LARGE head when you add the salt. You will need a pot large enough to handle the foam that will form as soon as you add the salt to the beer.
2. Your pot will need to have enough room to hold the full amount of brine you are planning to create.

Step 1: Pour two 12-ounce beers (24-ounces) into a sauce pot or other container large enough to hold the brine you are going to create. We will be heating only a portion of the brine. The rest of the beer will be added to the brine later and will work to cool the brine. We’ll add all the salt initially to the pot of hot beer on the stove. The cold beer we’ll add later will balance the brine to the 12 ounce to 1 tablespoon ratio.

Step 2: Slowly add your salt to the warm beer. WATCH THE FOAM! We will add 3 tablespoons to this simmering beer. Later, we will add the third 12-ounce beer to cool the brine down a bit.

Step 3: Heat the beer over a medium low heat and until just a bit of steam is rising from the beer. 

Step 4 : When the brine is hot and simmering is the point where you will add the herbs and spices if you were planning to do so. The simmering liquid will “draw” the flavors from the herbs, spices, fruit, or other ingredients you want to add to your brine.

Step 5: Let the brine simmer until the salt has dissolved completely. If you have added herbs and spices, you can let the brine simmer a bit longer. You’ll lose some of the volume to steam and alcohol gas-off. Remember, alcohol has a lower boiling point than water. Consider a beer with a 6% ABV also known as alcohol by volume 6% of the volume will be gone pretty quickly. We’ll top this off to 36-ounces later.

Step 6: Once your brine has been simmering for a bit and you are pleased with the way it is turning out, remove the brine from the heat. We transfer the brine to another container to cool the brine. Cast iron takes a bit of time to cool down and transferring the brine helps it cool quicker. 

We are going to add the third 12 ounce beer to another container. We are going to add that 12 ounce beer to a larger Pyrex container. That Pyrex can handle that hot brine. Take that third 12 ounce beer and add it to the Pyrex first and before adding the hot brine to that Pyrex.

Step 7: Add the hot brine with the herbs to the container with the cold beer. You can just leave it out to cool or speed up the cooling by placing the brine in the refrigerator. It will still be HOT even after adding the hot brine to the cold beer in the Pyrex.

Check the volume. Do you still have 36-ounces? Do you need to add any beer or water to bring the volume up to 36-ounces?

Step 8: Let the brine cool completely. Do not add the meat to the still-warm brine. You can refrigerate the brine a bit to cool it more. Even with the addition of the third cold beer, the brine will still be very warm. 

NOTE: Some folks add ice to cool the brine more rapidly. And, that is A-OK. However, note the amount of ice you’ve added. You will need to make sure that your overall ratio is 1 tablespoon of salt to 12 ounces of liquid.

Step 9: Once the brine is cool, place the meat in a zipper bag large enough to accommodate both the volume of brine and the size of the meat you’re going to brine. Then, pour the cool brine over the meat.

Let the meat brine for as long you feel it needs to brine.

Step 10: Wrap  up that meat-in-the-brine and let the meat brine in the refrigerator for as long as you feel it needs to brine. And, after those hours or days…it’s time to cook. It’s that easy.

I have a few how-to cook the brined meat “suggestions.” You can find those links on the website. There’s a recipe for how to cook a whole chicken, a coffee-crusted pork roast, and one to describe how to low-and-slow a beef roast. There’s also a link on how to salt a dish or a recipe. Don’t you struggle with those recipes that say, “salt to taste?”

Let’s talk a little more about the process. The rest of this podcast will explain some of the factors that you should consider when creating a brine and brining meat.

https://beerandiron.com/2023/01/how-to-beer-brine-whole-chicken

https://beerandiron.com/2023/02/beef-brined-coffee-crusted-pork-roast

https://beerandiron.com/2023/01/low-and-slow-roast

https://beerandiron.com/2022/11/salt-to-taste

Let’s talk a little more about the process. The rest of this article will explain some of the factors that you should consider when creating a brine and brining meat.