It is reasonable to assume after a person eats gumbo from Southern Louisiana, obsession follows.
The first time I had gumbo from Louisiana --- was a life changing experience.
I am originally from Louisiana, before I went to BBQ for events, I made gumbo and etouffee and red beans and rice for gatherings/events. Gumbo is the only way I can get the kids to eat bell peppers, celery, and onion, and they would eat it by the gallon.
It's also incredibly easy to make, so that's a win (make the roux in an oven)
if you love gumbo - here are some cliffs notes. I measure nothing, so season to taste. this is about a gallon.
In a cast iron skillet combine 3/4 cup of oil with 1 cup of flour. Bake at 350-375 until it looks a bit darker than milk chocolate but not as dark as dark chocolate. It takes roughly an hour, I stir it 2-3 times.
Figure out your proteins. Chicken and sausage are simple and inexpensive. Shrimp can go in any iteration. If you want a more seafoody gumbo, stop the roux at milk chocolate or even a bit before.
Celery onion and bell pepper. Rough chop is fine. You can go 2 parts onion and bell pepper to 1 part celery. I like 2 large onions, 4-5 bell peppers, 3-4 stalks of celery. Use the celery tops if possible.
Chicken stock. I use better than bullion. Best way is to cook a whole chicken and when it's done, pull it out, debone, and simmer the bones for a couple of hours, then strain.
Spices - black pepper, white pepper, cayenne pepper, and red pepper flakes. I use dehydrated minced garlic, fresh is also delicious. It's all to taste. Try to find some file powder. Kroger and their affiliates carry it around here. THIS DOES NOT GO IN UNTIL THE GUMBO IS DONE - most add it straight to the bowl, I add when it's still hot but not boiling. I like it to cook in just a bit. If you boil it, it gets kinda funky. It's a thickener by trade, but I see it more as a flavor.
Add veggies to stock. Boil while the roux is baking. Add spices to stock until you like it. Be liberal. When you add the roux, it's going to dilute quite a bit.
When the roux is done, set it to cool a bit. Not all the way cold, but until you know what to expect I suggest not adding 350-375 degree oil to liquid. I do, but I know what to expect.
Add roux, mix in well. It will clump up and look like it's not right. It's ok - it will incorporate when you cook it some more.
Bring back to simmer or slow boil. Let it cook maybe 15-20 minutes. Add more seasoning. If I'm using sausage, I like it to cook along with the roux when I add it to the stock, kind of render it a bit.
Add your chicken back to the pot. If you boiled the chicken you can add it very late. If you are using something like boneless breast or thighs and it's not already cooked, add it to stock same time as roux.
If using seafood such as shrimp or oysters or crawfish or whatever, add it right before you turn the heat off. There is enough residual heat in here to cook a lb or so of seafood.
That's about as simple as it gets. The vegetable chopping is the most tedious part. I can bang out a batch in 90 minutes or I can cook it for 4 hours until the veggies basically dissolve. That was how I first got the kids to eat it.
Ok, hijack over. Back to ramen. I get a craving for a pack of ramen maybe twice a year. I add only half of the salt pack (if it has a pack) - I saw some with wontons in the mix a few weeks ago. I jumped on 2 bowls of it and had one that night. I think it had 3 little sad vaguely wonton shaped noodles kinda laying on top. Sad sad little things. That was my ramen fix for the foreseeable future. I can't tell the difference taste wise between the less than a buck containers at the Mart and the $3.50 containers from the Asian section at Publix or the Kroger affiliate. All I get is salt. My daughter buys the $2 packs of Shin and swears by them. I can't tell the difference (other than heat)
