Ready yourself for the season with these four Southern-made essentials to jumpstart your gumbo gear
With cooler weather—and football season—comes gumbo. We’re gearing up for big pots loaded with shrimp, andouille, chicken, and okra, and we’ll jump right into the fray on debates over whether to include tomatoes and filé powder. Whether you take yours over rice or with potato salad, you’re going to need the right tools: a sturdy cutting board, heavy-bottomed pot, solid stirring spoon, and plenty of serving bowls. Thanks to the handiwork of these Southern artisans, these gumbo-making essentials are just what you need to feed a crowd.
Smithey Ironware 5.5 Quart Dutch Oven
With a vintage look and feel and polished interior surface, this South Carolina made enameled cast iron evenly conducts heat across the bottom to ensure a perfectly browned roux. $300
HAAND Sharing Bowl
Burlington, North Carolina
You might have spotted these handmade bowls or plates in restaurants around the South—they’ve recently partnered with North Carolina chef Vivian Howard on a specialty line. The sharing bowl (shown here in fern) is especially ideal for dishing out steaming portions of gumbo loaded with juicy shrimp and bright-green okra. $55 for one; $209 for set of four
Macy Cypress Roux Spoon
Long Beach, Mississippi
Sous chef by day, woodworker by night, Mike Macy shapes these flat-ended spoons—specifically made for stirring a smooth roux using cypress wood he sources from Jubilee Specialty Wood Products in Mobile, Alabama. $20,
Murhelvic Woodworks Pecan Cutting Board
Wadmalaw Island, South Carolina
Made from felled South Carolina pecan trees, this heavy duty living-edge board provides a smooth surface for slicing andouille and okra. $160
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Recipes
Eastern North Carolina Seafood Gumbo
This shareable seafood gumbo from chef Ashley Hardesty Armstrong blends savory chicken stock, fresh veggies, and shrimp, oyster, and crab.
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Erin Byers Murray
Erin Byers Murray has been digging into stories about food and wine for more than twenty years. Based in Nashville, she is the editor-in-chief of The Local Palate and has authored or co-authored half a dozen books, including deep dives into oysters and grits, as well as several cookbooks. Her work has been published in multiple publications, including Food & Wine, Wine & Spirits, the Boston Globe, and three editions of Best Food Writing.
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