Have you ever been in the kitchen working on a great new recipe only to come to a term that stumps you… like what does that mean? How do I ….? Or maybe you’re trying to adapt a recipe but you’d like an opinion about the direction you’re heading with it from someone more experienced? Ask The Chef is here to help…. join many other readers who have sent questions in and get your issue resolved. Ask the Chef your question here.
Reader’s Ask The Chef Question:
Can you help me solve how to counteract overpowering onion taste in Chicken & Sausage Gumbo? Add more chicken broth or ? Added onion soup mix to gumbo is a Culinary NO NO in Cajun Country, Louisiana. So I found out. Born and raised here, think I would know better. Any help would be appreciated.
The Chef’s Answer:
I can say that I have never heard of adding onion soup mix to gumbo either! But sometimes the “different” ingredients actually work out well. The old rule of thumb that I learned in Culinary school pretty much says, “that it is easier to add to…. than to take away”.
So with that being said, I would suggest first of all to cut the amount of onion you use in half. Then as you build your gumbo, taste it (when it is safe to eat of course). You can always add more onion later. Just might need to cook it a little longer at a slow temp to let the flavors meld. Not knowing your recipe, I can’t say for certain that this would work, but it is a start. Diluting it can help but it also has the potential to dull other flavors.
In addition to looking at the amount of onion you are using, also look at the type. A white onion and some red onions have a very sharp if not hot flavor to them. Try using a Vidalia or Vidalia type sweet onion. Great flavor but without as much bang. Also look at your other ingredients. For example, your sausage. Some Andouille and other smoked type sausages have onion flavor added to them. This could compound it.
You may want to add a little celery to it as well. Celery has the effect of mellowing out flavors. But use it carefully as if overloaded it can bland out a whole dish.
So there you go…the main thing I guess to analyze what your are doing. Try different approaches and see which one works. In my personal shrimp and okra gumbo recipe I use equal parts onion and sweet bell pepper with a half part of celery. I love the flavor. You know that is the “holy trinity” of southern cooking!
Thanks. Good Luck and God Bless!
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About the Author
Raised in eastern North Carolina, The Chef has always most loved southern cuisine. While working for a top resort just after finishing Culinary School at Johnson and Wales University, when they still had a campus located in Charleston, South Carolina, he began learning about Gullah cuisine and enjoys it as well. He's a family man and country boy at heart, loves hunting and is a big fan of the John Boy and Billy Big Show and the Carolina Panthers.
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