Blue Runner Gumbo base?

[Shark Bait]

Has anybody tried this yet? I'm cooking a seafood gumbo for about 20 people on Saturday. I wonder if the flavor is as good. Anybody got a award winning gumbo recipe?

[Speckled_Tiger]

I've had most of the Blue Runner bases, and they are much better than you would expect. Basically it tastes like an average homemade gumbo. Nothing that will knock your socks of, but is more than sufficient to satisfy the taste buds.

[Shark Bait]

It's going to be seafood. I have lot's of boiled crabs frozen from the summer and plenty of shrimp. I make my own roux most of the time. I have problems getting the thickness right. Got to go get some oysters.

[Shark Bait]

Makes sense. I never use okra. Guess I will try it this time.

[Speckled_Tiger]

okra is a vile plant that shoudl be burned on sight

[Sandman]

I have problems getting the thickness right.

A little corn starch mixed with cold water, then added to the gumbo can give you the perfect thickness and I can't tell a difference in the taste.


okra is a vile plant that shoudl be burned on sight

Glad to see I'm not alone in this!!!

[brian22]

It's going to be seafood. I have lot's of boiled crabs frozen from the summer and plenty of shrimp. I make my own roux most of the time. I have problems getting the thickness right. Got to go get some oysters.

When I make roux, I use my wooden spoon to move the roux out to the sides of my cast iron skillet have and bare metal in the middle. Then, I hit the skillet with the spoon(like when you're trying to fling off the excess roux off the spoon into the skillet), and watch how the roux moves back to the middle as I strike the skillet. For me, the best consistency is when the roux moves back towards the middle as I strike, but doesn't really move when I don't strike. Hard to explain by typing this, but it's really simple in real life.

The few times I haven't made a roux, I've tried Savoie's and it's pretty decent. Can't speak for blue runner as I've never seen it.

By the way, making a shrimp stock w/ the heads of dem shrimps in a stocking or cheesecloth is a great way to start that seafood gumbo off! I usually make extra and freeze some.

[brian22]

Oh and by the way, if the crabs you have in the freezer are already boiled, they won't do well in the gumbo to eat. While they WILL make the stock taste ridiculously good if you boiled them in crawfish/crab boil originally, the double boiling makes the crabs overcooked/tough/nasty. I had to throw the crabs away once my gumbo was cooked last time.

Now if you made a stock w/ the frozen boiled crabs AND shrimp heads, then put fresh crabs in for eating, THAT would be good!

[knotsane]

I always fry all the slime off my okra in a large skillet before I throw it in the gumbo. It will still thicken the gumbo but will not put all the slime into it. It takes a bit of time over medium heat (and cleaning the pan is a PITA) but it works to deslime the okra.

[seagull]

Have not tried the new large cans of Blue Runner Gumbo base, always kept cans of the Blue Runner Shrimp Okra Gumbo in the pantry for when I had left over rice and that gumbo is as good or better than most restaurants serve, just had to add extra shrimp. Just get a can and try it out before you make a big batch for your party and lets us know how it taste.