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wanted the pleasure of making that gumbo while they were watching the ball game or whatever, and this was perfect for them,” says Stelly. Meanwhile, traditionalists discovered what I discovered that day at the camp. If you don’t have all day to make a gumbo, it’s an absolutely fine and authentic substitute for the trinity. “We’ve ended up with a product that now serves both spectrums,” says Stelly. “It’s proved wildly popular.” In 2013, Guidry’s forged even deeper into the gumbo-convenience market by coming up with a handful of dry mixes — Guidry’s Cajun Gumbo being one of them — that basically aim to take the guesswork out of making a gumbo. The mix, when stirred into a gallon of water and cooked for an appropriate amount of time, turns into a gumbo to which the cook only has to add whatever protein — chicken, sausage, shrimp — pleases them. Stelly credits Ray Venable, a former Guidry production manager who has since retired, with coming up with, and taste-testing, the recipes.

“It’s not ‘instant’ gumbo,” says Stelly, “and we remind people that the suggested cooking time is the minimum time, and longer is better.” But the glory, especially for novice cooks, is that “…you don’t have to make a roux, you don’t have to season it. It goes from the pantry to the pot and comes out the same every time, because everything is measured so precisely,” Stelly says. Stelly also credits a great deal of Guidry’s success and exposure over the years to Rouses, the supermarket chain that publishes this magazine. “We love Rouses because they push very hard for local vendors, of which we are obviously one…. They also are masters at display — they keep the racks full and they do a great job with inventory control. And with our Creole Seasoning being a fresh product, a lot of things have to be done right to keep it fresh, and they just know how to do things right.”

PHOTO BY ROMNEY CARUSO

PHOTO BY ROMNEY CARUSO

34 MARCH•APRIL 2020