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the argument over whether or not tomatoes belong in the dish. Some believe the divide over tomatoes stems from whether you learned to cook gumbo Creole-style — and are therefore pro-tomato — or in a Cajun fashion, where the addition of tomato would be roughly akin to throwing a dirty sock into the pot. Further supporting this line of thinking is that Creole gumbo tends to be more seafood forward, meaning tomatoes play nicely with it, while Cajun gumbo has a more terrestrial bench of ingredients. What about a duck and oyster gumbo, you say? I don’t know the right answer, but all I can advise is this: Add tomato at your own risk.

“Potato salad with your gumbo?” “Why, yes, please!” Those in the know Are happy to appease.

Does your grand-mère remember Off the top of her head, Or have her recipe written On notecards instead?

Potato salad in gumbo — as a substitute for rice, served on the side or thrown in the mix alongside — is a Gulf Coast tradition for many that’s a prime example of don’t knock it until you try it . The creaminess of potato salad pairs almost seamlessly with the gumbo’s velvety depths, offering up a swirling bite of rich goodness with each spoonful. Of course, it’s not for everyone. A 2021 poll from The Times-Picayune revealed that 50% of readers surveyed prefer rice in their gumbo; 12% like potato salad only; 37% said they enjoy both rice and potato salad in (or with) their gumbo; and a contrarian 1% said they wanted neither rice nor potato salad. Q IS FOR QUICK COOKING People know gumbo Is an all-day affair; Those who take shortcuts Can’t even compare. We all know that gumbo is a time-consuming dish, and the sort of all-day (or multi-day) activity that folks tend to structure entire weekends around. “There’s no rushing it!” old-timers will tell you. There are, however — ahem — shortcuts that can be taken, like buying a jar of pre-made roux or gumbo base if you’re really in a pinch; using frozen vegetables instead of chopping them up fresh; and even shredding a store-bought rotisserie chicken instead of searing off the meat yourself. Is this considered blasphemous to many? Absolutely. Do people still do it all the time? Of course. The true test is whether you can taste the difference.

Like all good heirlooms, gumbo recipes are passed down from generation to generation; many times, in the handwriting of the recipe’s original creator from several generations back. Old-fashioned recipe cards, ingredient lists scribbled inside of a church cookbook, or instructions jotted down on a piece of yellowing notebook paper are among the most precious culinary keepsakes in the kitchen, not only because they help to preserve delicious dishes, but because they offer a constant connection to the past. And while your mamaw might’ve been able to pull off the dish from memory, replicating how she makes gumbo so perfectly will probably require a little bit more of a (handwritten) reminder.

U IS FOR UTENSILS A sturdy wooden roux spoon Stirs the pot with ease, Certain utensils Help make gumbo a breeze.

Sure, there are people who stir with any spoon that’s clean and cut with whichever knife is handy. But for others, utensils are as much a part of the process of making gumbo as the ingredients themselves. For many cooks, that might mean an heirloom ladle passed down through generations, and for others it might be a roux spoon: The tool specifically crafted with straight, slanted edges to keep the roux moving and achieve a darn-near-perfect consistency. But even with such a single purpose utensil, the basic rule of roux can’t be forsaken: Don’t stop stirring!

S IS FOR SHRIMP Seafood gumbo without shrimp? Why, that’d never happen! You’d even catch them yourself While playing sea captain.

Of all the oceanic critters that find themselves tossed into a pot of gumbo, shrimp is far and away the most iconic. Serious shrimp lovers know that one of the best ways to ramp up the flavor of a seafood gumbo is homemade shrimp stock — and maybe a few dried shrimp in the mix. For many devotees, there’s no such thing as excess: more shrimp is shrimply delectable.

V IS FOR VEGETABLES Bell pepper, onion and celery Complete the trinity,

T IS FOR TOMATO Suggest tomato in gumbo And be prepared to be booed, For many die-hard fans The very thought is just crude.

Straight from the garden Is best — don’t you agree?

No matter how you gumbo, you’re definitely not making it without the holy trinity of bell pepper, onion and celery…right? Right. Whew, thank goodness.

Outside of scraps about okra versus filé for thickening, few gumbo feuds run as hot as

R IS FOR RECIPE CARDS

22 ROUSES FAL L 2022