Displaced Texan

See!! We’re second amendment friendly!!! We didn’t raise gun taxes!

Never been. I’ll try it

And it also sucks for Harris...she’s on the Senate judiciary board and is part of confirming justices. That’ll pull that hag off the campaign trail!

I have the feeling Mitch wouldn’t even take it to the floor.

Nancy isn’t relevant to the discussion of SCOTUS confirmations anyway. That’s the senates job, screw her.

@Scorpio64 Are you coming to the shoot 9/26? If so I’ll bring some gumbo for you.

It’s even better today.....damn.

Hahahaha! I don’t think there are any good places for gumbo in NJ. I don’t really like restaurant chains, but McCormick and Schmick makes a decent one.

Yep, threw the chicken in the stock raw, and let it cook for a few hours. It falls off the bone. Shrimp doesn’t take much time to cook. Pretty much when it turns pink, it’s done. Most people overcook seafood. The biggest piece of advice I can give you; good gumbo is ALL about the roux. Don’t skimp on giving it the time and love it deserves, or it won’t have that rich, dark flavor. Use the oven method. Stir it fairly frequently, and the color will change to that lovely chocolate color. Don’t be scared that you’re gonna burn it, the oven method works perfectly! Remember....always add the liquid to the roux...never add roux to the liquid. You’ll end up with a mess.

I’ve got a ton left over. I’m going to grab some mason jars tomorrow and freeze it. I’ll save you some.

That looks like an amazing brisket!

This ain’t Zeke’s gumbo, no pineapples allowed.

There’s a little back story behind this gumbo... I can’t believe this was 40 years ago, but starting when I was a young man of about 14, I spent my summers working on the Mississippi river, aboard the towboats, pushing barges full of petrochemical products up and down the lower river. I started off as a deckhand, and after a while, I sat for my ‘tankermans’ license. I was in charge of loading liquid cargo, like gasoline, toluene, and other petrochemicals into barges. I think I was about 16. Later, when I turned 18, I sat for my inland pilots license exam. I worked as a relief pilot on and off for a few years, mostly holidays and summers, while I was in college. While I was working aboard the M/V Dixie Power, there was an old Cajun cook aboard the boat. He was from the bayous of south Louisiana. For the life of me, I can’t remember his name, (hell, I don’t think I could pronounce it), but he used to make this gumbo for the crew about once a week. I loved it..and he taught me how to make it. While he didn’t teach me ALL his gumbo secrets, he taught me enough to be dangerous. So, in the spirit of that old Cajun, let’s make a gumbo!!! Just like most all Cajun cooking, first, you make a roux. Not just any roux, for a proper gumbo, you want a nice, chocolate colored roux. The best way to do this, so you’re not stirring it forever, is in the oven. It’s a (mostly) hands off process. Heat your oven to 350°. Take 2 cups of AP flour, and 1.5 cups vegetable oil, and whisk them together until smooth in your cast iron skillet. Stick this in the oven, and give it a good stir every 20 mins or so. Should take 2 to 2 1/2 hours, but the result will be a nice, chocolate brown roux. Time consuming, but you pretty well can’t screw it up using this method. While the roux is doing its thing in the oven, it’s time to get chopping the veggies for the holy trinity, another gumbo essential. About 4-5 stalks of celery. 2 large yellow onions 2 large bell peppers. Chop em up, and sauté them with a little oil (or bacon fat if you’re felling froggy). Cook the veggies until the onions are translucent. Toss in some chopped garlic, a tablespoon or so, or more if you’re so inclined. When the roux is done, add it, and the holy trinity into a large stock pot. Cook them a bit together until they are nicely combined. Add 4 quarts of stock. I usually make my own seafood or chicken stock. I didn’t have enough homemade stock, so I used 2 quarts of homemade shrimp stock, and 2 quarts of store bought chicken stock. Let this simmer for awhile, add some Tony Chachere’s Cajun seasoning to taste, and now, you have a good base for a pot of gumbo. By definition, gumbo is an amalgamation of different things. Sometimes it’s made to clean out the refrigerator, or the freezer. Sometimes it’s made with the catch of the day, from a from a fishing trip, or fresh kill from a duck hunting trip. I was chatting with @Bighungry618 the other day about it...and I think he put it best. “Gumbo has no rules”. A gumbo is anything you want it to be. Well, mine, has some ‘guidelines’. I never add okra to a roux based gumbo...because that’s the way I was taught. That doesn’t mean you can’t...I just don’t. On that note, I DO like an okra gumbo though..... For this gumbo, I’m throwing in a bunch of chicken wings, and about 2 lbs of cooked smoked sausage (before Big Hungry loses his mind...I would NORMALLY use andouille sausage, but Mrs Tex said it was too spicy for her). So, smoked sausage it is. Gotta keep the boss lady happy. I also had a couple of smoked turkey legs in the freezer Mrs Tex was after me to use. I cut that meat off the bone and tossed that in there too. That’ll add a touch of nice, smoky flavor to this little batch of loveliness. After it simmers for an hour or so, when the chicken wings are nice and tender, it’s ready to add seafood. I added 2 lbs of shrimp, and about a pound of jumbo lump crab meat (since my local fish monger didn’t have any crawfish). You can add anything you like. Oysters, scallops, fish...you do you. You can turn off the heat at this point...the shrimp will cook in the pot and turn nice and pink. Serve it in a large bowl, with a scoop of white rice in the middle. Top it with a little green onion, or chopped parsley (or both!!). If you like, a little gumbo fil’e powder (which is dried sassafras). Maybe a little Crystal hot sauce, or another dash of Cajun seasoning. Don’t forget some warm French bread, for sopping up the bottom of the bowl! You’re gonna wanna, that’s for sure!! Good eats, y’all!

I can see Chuckie boy screaming now....

Howdy, and welcome.

I’ll do a gumbo thread

Yeah baby!!!! As a side note, we are making a gumbo this weekend. Shrimp, andouille sausage, chicken, and a smoked turkey leg I have in the freezer. Gonna be a gumbo kind of weekend.

Might have a read through this thread: https://www.njgunforums.com/forum/index.php?/topic/76172-shot-gun-home-defense-ammo-what-is-recommended/

Bad, bad idea. Especially in the wintertime, when people wear heavier clothing. @High Exposure could tell you a story about birdshot in a suicide attempt.... Stick with 00 buckshot, a handgun, or an AR.

Of course they do. They’ll tax anything that moves, breathes, or isn’t tied down. The best solution is to leave this place far behind in the rear view mirror.