Tomatoes in Gumbo by DJ Rhett

[RaginCagin]

I saw Justin Wilson put tomatoes in gumbo on TV once. Anybody really gonna argue with him? You can put anything in gumbo as the headline, Squirrel, Beaver, Rattlesnake etc etc and even tomaters. I think Justin was using snapping turtle. Love me some shrimp gumbo and fried grits.

If it was snapping turtle then he was probably cooking a sauce picante so using a tomato base with a little roux would make sense.

[Bayouboy]

I like it with okra, without okra, with boiled eggs, with dropped eggs, with potato salad, without potato salad, no **** chicken feet though!!!!

[Duckologist]

She was born in Gueydan and later grew up in Crowley. She may not appreciate me putting her name out on a public forum, but its definately of French descent.

My wife is also from Gueydan. My Mom was born in Ville Platte. We likely got all kinda kin on dis thread. And no tomatoes in gumbo. NO!! That's some New Orleans junk

[McClain]

That certainly lends her credit, but I have to wonder who taught her to cook “gumbo” that way. The only people I’ve known my whole life (62) who would cook it that way were people from north louisiana, west Louisiana (which we consider east Texas, and people from Texas. Hey if your family likes it, more power to y’all.


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Largely raised by her grandmother, we're definately talking old school here. She mostly spoke french. As for the gumbo, we are talking two totally different animals here. There is no roux in "okra gumbo" and no okra in the roux gumbo. Okra gumbo is thickened by first thoroughly cooking down the okra and then adding the other ingredients. That is how it was always done in her family, and we still eat both recipes in this house.

[tvc184]

Tomatoes, okra or anything else belongs in gumbo. It merely depends on preference and a lot on the area. I believe toward N.O. they tend to use tomatoes whereas the western half of the state (like where I live on the TXLA border) they tend to not use it

Chili beans/no beans or ground meat/stew meat......boudain/boudin with/without liver.... gumbo with/without tomatoes/okra/file or eggs or potato salad....
Is all just preference. It all is cooked routinely.

[Flex]

I have actually had the stuff made with file and no roux. Not really "gumbeaux" but its a good soup for sure.

Tomatoes in cajun food is one of those things where nobody is saying it won't taste ok or even good. But it is not "cajun" anymore. Those French on the eastern side made everything to complicated and fancy for the New Orleans tourists.

And if you have never made a roux it is a fun time if you have a good chair, a good cast iron or magnalite pot, and some drinks and friends around.

Feedback showed that GRXH pig scrap gumbeaux turned out pretty darn decent.

[Swamprat]

I can't wait to cook my first pot of gumbo for the season... MMMmmmmMMMMmmm.

Down da Bayou style...Homemade from scratch... WITH okra and a little Rotel and fresh potato salad.