First, cook a pound of bacon

[David M. Bueker]

That's the first step in my gumbo recipe.

Most gumbo recipes start with "First, make a roux..."

I use bacon grease for the roux, so I have the delicious first step.

What do you use for a roux when making gumbo? Or do you even make gumbo?

[Jo Ann Henderson]

I use fresh vegetable oil to start my roux. I let the andouille or other smoked sausage impart the smokiness in the end product. Bacon comes with too many flavor additives these days, IMO.

[Mike Bowlin]

With you all the way, BACON grease for the starter.

[Jeff Grossman/NYC]

I use butter for most of my roux.

[Mark Lipton]

I use butter for most of my roux.

Yup, butter for the roux and, in the case of gumbo, locally made smoked andouille for the smoke.

Mark Lipton

[David M. Bueker]

Now that we get bacon from the local farm I am much more confident in using it. Yummy stuff.

Nobody local does Andouille, so I quit using it. What I have been able to get is too greasy, even when I pre-cook/de-grease it.

[Tom Troiano]

A have a friend who makes outrageously good fried chicken in bacon fat.

The first step in the recipe is "make 5 lbs. of bacon".

[Doug Surplus]

I might not make it past the first step. I'd eat all the bacon and forget about what I was making in the first place!

[Salil]

Now that we get bacon from the local farm I am much more confident in using it. Yummy stuff.

Nobody local does Andouille, so I quit using it. What I have been able to get is too greasy, even when I pre-cook/de-grease it.

A couple of the big markets around here have started carrying D'Artagnan's andouille sausage. Dunno if that meets your needs, but I certainly like it.

[Frank Deis]

I've made gumbo more times this year than previously in my entire life I think -- largely because I have found a Korean produce market that has great okra (I don't think Koreans even eat okra but they seem to really understand good produce). Because of the calories, I have shied away from making the recommended quantity of roux. I tried one version where you mix the flour and oil in the pot and put it in a 250 degree oven for a period of time -- all that stirring is not necessary if the heating is perfectly even. When I have used a roux I make it in skimpy quantities so it doesn't actually thicken the stew. Okra helps with the thickening as does filé gumbo.

[David M. Bueker]

Now that we get bacon from the local farm I am much more confident in using it. Yummy stuff.

Nobody local does Andouille, so I quit using it. What I have been able to get is too greasy, even when I pre-cook/de-grease it.

A couple of the big markets around here have started carrying D'Artagnan's andouille sausage. Dunno if that meets your needs, but I certainly like it.

That is what we used this past weekend. It was the greasiest yet.