By Week 414. Year 8. Tommy is 41. Winter quiet. The journal open on the kitchen table. The recipes accumulating. Mama (68) in the cottage, slowing but cooking. The gumbo on the stove because winter demands gumbo the way spring demands crawfish and the demanding is the tradition and the tradition is the life.
Made seafood gumbo this week — the kind of food that fills the house with the smell of Louisiana and the knowledge that whoever walks through the door is walking into a home where the stove is on and the food is ready and the welcome is unconditional. The meal was the day. The day was the meal. Both were good. The door is open.
The gumbo doesn’t happen without the seasoning — and for eight years of winters, the seasoning has been something I mix myself, the same way Mama taught me, the same way her kitchen always smelled. When people ask what makes the pot taste right, it’s this: a handful of dried herbs measured more by memory than by spoon, blended together before anything hits the roux. If the stove being on is the welcome, then this blend is the handshake at the door.
Homemade Poultry Seasoning
Prep Time: 5 minutes | Cook Time: 0 minutes | Total Time: 5 minutes | Servings: About 6 tablespoons (roughly 18 teaspoons)
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons dried sage, crumbled
- 1 tablespoon dried thyme
- 1 tablespoon dried marjoram
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary, finely crushed
- 1 teaspoon dried black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon celery seed
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional, for a Southern edge)
Instructions
- Combine the herbs. Add the sage, thyme, marjoram, rosemary, black pepper, celery seed, nutmeg, and cayenne (if using) to a small bowl. Stir well until fully combined.
- Crush if needed. If your dried sage or rosemary is coarsely flaked, use the back of a spoon or a mortar and pestle to break it down to a fine, even consistency. This helps the blend integrate evenly into soups, gumbos, and braises.
- Taste and adjust. Pinch a small amount between your fingers and smell it — the sage should lead, with the thyme close behind. Add a touch more marjoram if you want it softer, more cayenne if you want it to speak up.
- Store properly. Transfer to a small glass jar with a tight-fitting lid. Label with the date. Store in a cool, dark cabinet away from the stove.
- Use freely. Use 1 to 2 teaspoons per pound of poultry, or season your gumbo base, stock, or roux to taste. The blend keeps its potency for up to 6 months.
Nutrition (per serving, approximately 1 teaspoon)
Calories: 5 | Protein: 0g | Fat: 0g | Carbs: 1g | Fiber: 0g | Sodium: 1mg