Thinkin about entering a local event, I can cook ok gumbo and was wondering about what I need to do to take it to another level, or other ideas to load it up with and what not to load it up with.

You thinking chicken & sausage or seafood?

For competition no tomatoes. You want a smooth creamy texture which means lots of dark roux. You want the spice to creep up on them and linger a minute. Use a fatty sausage and bacon. Okra are mandatory. If I share any more I start giving away secrets.

Seafood gumbo with some prasek's sausage chopped up(I'm in MS an my friend has a freezer full). Would using white pepper be good since it has the heat on the backend in my bbq sauces?

[This message has been edited by jaseev (edited 3/9/2011 8:37a).]

Jas, post your recipe and we'll let you know what we think.

Judges can taste things like canned sauces/roux/rotel/garlic. Also, avoid seasoning packets. And buy fresh seasoning. If the stuff in your pantry is close to three months old it has lost a lot of its punch.

Also, cut your veggies (trinity) in small, even size cuts. When you fill your spoon, you want to be able to get several different things on your spoon which are the same size.

i use a black roux, takes some time to leatn to make right but worth it. i also use white, black, and red pepper.

seafood. minimum of 1 crab for flavor. oysters also add.

Don't use water, use chicken or seafood stock.

Simmer the okra in a separate pot to cook of the slime then add to the gumbo. Thicken with filé and plenty of dark roux.

+1 on shrimp/seafood stock.

If you are using sausage, mail order real andouille. Nothing sold in this state even comes close

reading comprehension fail on the sausage. Carry on

1 lb. peeled and deveined large shrimp (tails removed)
½ cup vegetable oil (canola, corn, etc.)
½ cup flour – all purpose
½ cup diced red pepper
¼ cup diced green pepper
¾ cup diced celery
1 cup diced onion (about one large onion)
1 cup frozen okra
5 cups chicken broth – low sodium is best
3 bay leaves
4 cloves of garlic – smashed and diced
1-2 Tablespoons Tabasco brand hot sauce
Gumbo Seasoning Mix is below

2 teaspoons black pepper
1 teaspoon white pepper
1-2 teaspoons cayenne pepper (less if you like our gumbo mild)
1½ teaspoons file’ powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon mustard powder
1 teaspoon onion powder I also add a little blackened seasoning to it and was thinkin about putting a big spoonfull of fresh crab in the bottom of each bowl then the gumbo on top when I'm fixing the turn in container.

[This message has been edited by jaseev (edited 3/9/2011 11:07a).]

Well, now I'm hungry for gumbo and there's none to be had in my vicinity...