SANDESTIN — At 5:30 a.m. Saturday, Jon Seeling, owner of 98 BBQ, began heating up 55 gallons of gumbo. Over the previous eight days he had cooked small batches of the smoky chicken and sausage barbecue gumbo to ensure it stayed flavorful.
“I find if you use a bigger pot, you lose that touch,” Seeling said. “It gets bland.”
Eighteen restaurants brought their own unique version of gumbo to be tested by several thousand people Saturday at the 24th Annual Sandestin Gumbo Festival.
View a photo gallery from the Sandestin Gumbo Festival >>
Buster’s Bar and Grille has competed in the festival since it began. General Manager George Miree said it’s a great promotion for the eatery and always draws a good crowd, especially this year.
“It’s good gumbo weather,” he said, looking up at the brilliant blue sky.
For the past two months the chef at The Bistro - Eat. Drink. Connect. had been perfecting his gumbo recipe, named “The Drunken Gumbo” for its use of beer, said general manager Tania Koehler. The secret to a good gumbo is to let it sit and to use only quality ingredients, she said.
“And we didn‘t go cheap on the beer,” Koehler added with a laugh.
Peyton Cook Foshee was looking for a specific type of gumbo. She isn’t a fan of seafood; she wanted to see sausage, chicken and some flavor.
“It has to have a kick,” Foshee said.
The only people pickier than the chefs were the visitors. Everyone had their own idea of how a great gumbo should taste.
Friends Rachel Simone and David Lubic hadn‘t really tried gumbo before, and were excited to test the various recipes. After a few samples, Lubic had an idea of what he was looking for.
“I like it to be a flavorful, to not just have one note,” he said.
Daily News Staff Writer Lauren Delgado can be reached at 850-315-4445 or ldelgado@nwfdailynews.com. Follow her on Twitter @LaurenDnwfdn.