Acadiana’s Secret Ingredients to Splendid Gumbo

I could be totally off-base with what I am going to suggest. I believe that gumbo recipes are almost as personal as how someone views politics. Crazy, right? Well, maybe not. Because the weather was a little cooler recently, and I actually began to think about gumbo.

I am not a cook. I cook to live, but no one would ever call me a chef. As I started thinking about making gumbo, I began to wonder how I could make it great. I have a recipe. I know the basics, and I know how to make it, but I don't know how to make it really spectacular. Hmmmm. So, I started thinking, what is the secret to a great gumbo? I was stumped. Naturally, I turned to Facebook to ask my friends what to do, and the answers have been so different that I suddenly realized how personal gumbo recipes are for people in Acadiana. But, that really makes sense, doesn't it? My mom's gumbo was fantastic, but say that to someone else, and they would contend their mama's gumbo is fantastic. And their mawmaw's and their pawpaw's! I've heard people argue over the years about the real secret to a great gumbo.

When I asked the question, I had no idea I would receive so many different kinds of responses on how to make it just perfect. Who would have ever thought of putting your chicken and sausage in a marinade of Tony Chachere's and whiskey overnight before you make your roux? A man I know very well says it's very delicious. If you Google, "how to make the perfect chicken and sausage gumbo", I didn't stop on a link until this one. A whole bunch of other things was suggested, but I don't trust recipes from people in places outside of Acadiana, so I picked a George Graham recipe. The recipe has the "holy trinity", so it's a good one to follow, but I wanted y'all's advice, and boy, did I get it. Thank you, Acadiana friends!