Eggplant is also readily available in most grocery and produce stores. Similarity to filé powder: Eggplant has a very similar taste as filé powder, and is the best choice for those who miss that unique root beer flavor. Prepare the roux first, then add the vegetables and proteins. Six ounces will result in a heavy gravy consistency. You can use anywhere from 3 to 6 ounces of roux per quart of gumbo, depending on the desired thickness. When and how to substitute: A 1 to 1 ratio of fat to flour makes a good roux. It is not quite filé powder, but the taste is every bit as satisfying. Similarity to filé powder: A medium-brown roux will produce a unique mouth-watering flavor that only comes from a roux made with bacon fat. A medium-brown roux is best, to give your finished gumbo a lovely, deep, and somewhat reddish color. The longer you cook it the darker it gets and will affect the color of your gumbo. Roux made this way takes on a dark color as it cooks. Vegetable fat is sometimes used and is excellent if you want to make a vegan gumbo, but it is hard to beat the satisfying taste of bacon. In southern cooking, bacon fat is usually substituted for butter. Roux is traditionally made by cooking wheat flour into butter until it forms a soft ball. Here are our top substitutions for filé powder: 1. Here is how they rank: Top 5 Filé Powder Substitutes Some are better for their flavor characteristics, and others for adding the signature thick texture, but multiple sources seem to all agree on the best alternatives to filé powder. Though its distinctive root-beer flavor is hard to duplicate, there are several suitable substitutes for filé powder in cooking, and each has its own merits. But, while the roots and bark of the sassafras tree do contain safrole, the amount found in the leaves is negligible.Īnother reason may be that filé powder is difficult to find outside of natural food and health stores. Safrole is a banned substance and may be one reason for the substitution of filé powder in cooking. There is some debate whether filé powder contains safrole, an organic compound thought to be a mild carcinogen. However, in modern cooking, a filé powder substitute is often used in making this well-known and delicious Louisiana state dish. It is made from the dried and ground leaves of the sassafras tree ( Sassafras albidum).įirst used as a seasoning in cooking by the Choctaw tribe of the southeastern U.S., Acadian settlers arriving in that area soon began to use sassafras powder for flavoring and thickening of their traditional stews and soups. Filé powder is the traditional ingredient that gives Louisiana gumbo its unique flavor.
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