The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-11-08
CHICKEN GUM no.
Advice and Directions From G'Ontemted
SOmthernPPs.

To THE EDITOR or The SUN-Sir. In The SUN
OF November 8 n. A. BalsO asks w. G. r." To tell
him for the love Of heaven where he can get real
chicken gumbO." The real chicken xumbO NAV
he had at most Of the good restaurants mot FRENCH
la New Orleans, or he might ind some SOuthe rneT
In New York who could make II for him. / doubt
n he can md II In a New York restaurant. II Is
made by boiling a chicken In a pot OF water tnl the
meat falls from the bone. Pick out the bones.
Cut In small pieces about Que quart OF okra or
zumbO. which Is the same thing. and cook In the
pot with the chicken. Season with onion DUST a
llttle'. When all IN cooked very tender put In the
pot n few shnmps and oysters lf you care for them.
When serving put In tho soup plate nrst q table
spoonful of well boiled rice and cover with the
chicken EumbO.
This IL a dish NJ for the gods when made Right.
This with hot biscuit or beaten biscuit will make a
very hearty and delectabie meal.
GumbO may be made with any other meat. but
chicken Is best. Tomato gumbO Is made by stew.
Ing tomatoes and Okra together and serving with
roe the same a. chicken gnmbO. ~ you can
not 20 To New Orleans try cooking IL yourself
When you have succeeded with that try beaten
biscuit and sally lun and Southern fried chicken
and hot light bread and you will then discharge your
cook or 90 TO the South 10 live. In spite OF the fact
there Is only one New York" The reason New
Workers think this Is the only place 10 because most
Of them have never wandered far from Broadway,
and when they do they don't stay long enough TO
realize how little there Is on Broadway after all.
NEW YORE. November = A SYMPATaIzRR.
To THE EDITOR or The SUN-SF. All this talk
about chicken gumbo has not brought out a single
bit Of about the real thing. a dish which
no one will ever forget after once tasting II. Okra
soup never was and never Will be gumbO. There
have been compromises made by which II Is sailed
summer gumbO," but Loulsianians turn cold al
the name.
GumbO. the real thing. Is made on a foundation
OF the richest chicken soup, with addition OF onion
dellcately fried In pork that must be regulated by
inherited genius or by slavlsh following OF the
words Of an old black cook. There must be bay
leaves In II and many shreds OF the chicken, the
larger, within reason. the better. When all IL ready
drain plenty OF large oysters and slip them In the
pot. When their edges curl sift into the soup. for
nve people. four heaping taDiespOonfuls Of tho
ME" and let IL boil up once. stirring II well. The
soup will then be zreenlsh. a bit strlngy and mucI.
lAglnOus. Put a spoonful OF boiled rice In each
soup plate before serving the soup. There never
was anything more delicious cooked II you have a
drop OF southern blood In your veins; n not you
may have 10 acquire the taste. but II will come.
Now as to the NE It Is. or used 10 be. made
by Louisiana negroes by pOwdering the young
buds OF the s~assafras. We always had IL sent from
Dunbar or SOlsrl In New Orleans. but l believe II
can be bought Ia this city now. II comes In a glass
Jar. costing about ~ cents. and Is good n kept
tightly corised even after a year. J. ~. h.
NEW YORK. November 7.