Mardi Gras Prep
Tomorrow our household will be holding our annual Mardi Gras party. I've spent a good bit of the day in prep. Aside from cleaning, I've also done a lot of cooking prep; like last year, I'll be making gumbo.
This year, I'm going to make a new change to the recipe I used last year.
Last year, I started with this chicken andouille gumbo recipe, but used the Alton Brown method of making roux in the oven, instead of cooking it entirely on the stovetop like the printed recipe says. It worked very well, and I was not worried about burning the roux this way.
This year, I am also making one major substitution. I have swapped alligator meat for half of the the chicken. Yes, you heard correctly. Last year when I went down to Louisiana, I brought home alligator meat, and it has been in the deep freeze awaiting this dish. I'm not sure what to expect, but it should be fine. Cutting it up raw, I found it somewhere in texture between fish and chicken. We'll see how it tastes once the cooking is done tomorrow.
For now, all the ingredients are chopped and ready. I'll cook the roux tonight, and get up early to make the rest of the gumbo in the morning.
EDIT: The gumbo was very well received. The request for next year was indeed to get rid of the chicken altogether, and just use the alligator. Thus it shall be; my next trip to Slidell shall see me buying a lot more gator.
This year, I'm going to make a new change to the recipe I used last year.
Last year, I started with this chicken andouille gumbo recipe, but used the Alton Brown method of making roux in the oven, instead of cooking it entirely on the stovetop like the printed recipe says. It worked very well, and I was not worried about burning the roux this way.
This year, I am also making one major substitution. I have swapped alligator meat for half of the the chicken. Yes, you heard correctly. Last year when I went down to Louisiana, I brought home alligator meat, and it has been in the deep freeze awaiting this dish. I'm not sure what to expect, but it should be fine. Cutting it up raw, I found it somewhere in texture between fish and chicken. We'll see how it tastes once the cooking is done tomorrow.
For now, all the ingredients are chopped and ready. I'll cook the roux tonight, and get up early to make the rest of the gumbo in the morning.
EDIT: The gumbo was very well received. The request for next year was indeed to get rid of the chicken altogether, and just use the alligator. Thus it shall be; my next trip to Slidell shall see me buying a lot more gator.