It's Always Gumbo Weather

It’s Always Gumbo Weather

As soon the temperature hits the mid 60s, we start callingit gumbo weather. But when is it really gumbo weather?

We put out some form of gumbo on our hot soup and salad bar at Rouses Markets every day. And it’s our number one seller every day, even on days when there is a heat advisory. Looking at how much gumbo we sell made me think: If we eat gumbo year-round, why don’t more of us make it year-round? You don’t even have to stand over a hot stove to cook it…

I made a chicken & sausage gumbo for this issue in June, in the middle of an awful heat wave. It was a weeknight, so I used our Down-Home Gumbo Mix, which is a dry roux with seasonings already blended in — it really cuts down on the cooking time in a steamy summer kitchen. On weekends I usually don’t like to use any shortcuts because I enjoy spending the whole day in the kitchen, but for convenience, the mix is hard to beat, especially on a weeknight. I also really like our Rouses Roux in a jar.

The recipe on our Down-Home Gumbo Mix calls for two quarts of water, or your choice of liquid. Well, I use broth or stock in my gumbo because it adds a bit more flavor and richness. And I happen to like a thinner consistency, so I added three quarts of low sodium chicken broth instead of the two I mentioned. I also went with chicken thighs because dark meat is fattier, has more flavor and is less likely to toughen than white meat, as well as Rabideaux’s Cajun Smoked Pork Sausage, a favorite from Iowa, Louisiana. We sell it in all of our stores.

Gumbo is one of those foods that’s meant to be shared,like jambalaya, so when I was cooking for the magazineissue, I went ahead and made enough for dinner that night,with leftovers for our magazine team to try it the next day.Now, I really did plan on bringing some to work, but whenI woke up the next day, I still had an envie for gumbo. Ihave to admit, I ended up keeping the leftovers and justsharing the recipe. I couldn’t help myself!

You know what? That gumbo tasted even better the nextday. And I didn’t once think about the heat.— Donny Rouse, CEO, 3rd Generation

PHOTO BY CHANNING CANDIES