Gumbo is... very varied, as far as I can tell. I've had it where it is more stew/curry like in Louisiana, I've had it where it was more soup-like in Mississippi. I think the general rule is "if it tastes good, you didn't do it wrong". I personally liked the soupier version I got in this backwater truck-stop diner in southern Mississippi the best; it had been cooked so long that everything had basically dissolved into this thick, muddy, oh-so-tasty bowl of sludge that the cook topped with a scoop of rice. I had to pick out bones (I like to tell myself that it was chicken or turkey, but for all I know it was armadillo, gator, or nutria), but it was entirely worth it.
Gumbo file, or 'file powder', is dried powdered sassafras leaves. As I understand it, you don't use file powder with okra unless you want a hagfish-slime mess. Similarly, you don't want to add the file powder until after you take the gumbo off the heat, and you don't even want to add it then if you're not planning on eating the entire batch in one go -- sprinkle it into plated bowls. Seriously, unless your hubby has an allergy to it, you're better off with the okra. Cut it up fine and don't tell him it's in there (or cook it long until it all falls apart), and he won't notice. The characteristics that turn most people off about okra are the things that people look for in gumbo.
When you make the roux, you want continuously stir it and cook it until it looks like peanut butter and smells like Ritz crackers. I suggest making a double batch, because sometimes it doesn't thicken up quite as much as you want it to and, refrigerated, it can last a week or so and makes for my favorite type of roux for macaroni and cheese. Once it's cooked, I would also suggest scooping it all out into a cool dish or taking the pot and placing it in a dish with a bit of cold water in it. Leaving it in the pot with a hot bottom, even off the heat, it can continue to cook and scorch within a couple minutes.
Oh, and this type of roux gets super hot. And sticks. Handle it like you would melted sugar for caramel. It's nicknamed "Cajun Napalm" for a reason.
Gumbo file, or 'file powder', is dried powdered sassafras leaves. As I understand it, you don't use file powder with okra unless you want a hagfish-slime mess. Similarly, you don't want to add the file powder until after you take the gumbo off the heat, and you don't even want to add it then if you're not planning on eating the entire batch in one go -- sprinkle it into plated bowls. Seriously, unless your hubby has an allergy to it, you're better off with the okra. Cut it up fine and don't tell him it's in there (or cook it long until it all falls apart), and he won't notice. The characteristics that turn most people off about okra are the things that people look for in gumbo.
When you make the roux, you want continuously stir it and cook it until it looks like peanut butter and smells like Ritz crackers. I suggest making a double batch, because sometimes it doesn't thicken up quite as much as you want it to and, refrigerated, it can last a week or so and makes for my favorite type of roux for macaroni and cheese. Once it's cooked, I would also suggest scooping it all out into a cool dish or taking the pot and placing it in a dish with a bit of cold water in it. Leaving it in the pot with a hot bottom, even off the heat, it can continue to cook and scorch within a couple minutes.
Oh, and this type of roux gets super hot. And sticks. Handle it like you would melted sugar for caramel. It's nicknamed "Cajun Napalm" for a reason.
