One Of Jimmy Buffett's Favorite Dishes Was A Creole Classic

It's no secret that Jimmy Buffett was laid-back and loved food. Many of his songs featured food and drink, from "Margaritaville" to "Cheeseburger in Paradise," but nothing spoke to him quite like gumbo. Not only did he dedicate an entire song to how much he loves the classic Creole dish, but it was also his favorite food to eat outside the studio.

His sister, Lucy Buffett, better known as Lulu, owns a chain of restaurants across the South where she serves plenty of coastal dishes, including Jimmy's favorite: Gumbo. She has said Jimmy would always order her gumbo when he came to her restaurants. "He loves gumbo. He can get anything else anywhere else," she told The Palm Beach Post. "But he can't get a good gumbo just anywhere."

While she certainly makes a good gumbo, Lucy credits their grandmother for the family recipe. Her crab and shrimp gumbo comes directly from her, and Jimmy often said she was the one who introduced him to the dish. As he sings in his "I Will Play for Gumbo" hit, "It started in my grandma's, in her kitchen by the sea."

Jimmy Buffett's love of gumbo certainly isn't unfounded, as it's shared by much of New Orleans. While the dish is a Creole and Cajun favorite, it takes a good deal of work to prepare from start to finish. The process of making a gumbo can take multiple days, from assembling a spice mix and preparing the vegetables to cooking and cooling the broth and incorporating the protein. It's no wonder Lucy Buffett said she can't simply "toss together" a gumbo.

There are also plenty of types of gumbo you can make depending on your preferences. If you don't like seafood, you can cook a gumbo with chicken and andouille sausage. You can prepare it with or without okra or tomatoes, and you can choose how spicy you want it. Regardless of the variation, gumbo is almost always served over steamed rice, and many people — including Jimmy Buffett — enjoy soaking up the leftover juices with a slice of French bread.

While gumbo is exceptionally popular in the South, not everyone can cook it with ease. It typically starts with making a roux, which can be difficult to prevent from burning. Even the slightest temperature changes can alter its color, which in turn affects the overall thickness of the dish. Still, once you get all the components just right, you'll have a gumbo worthy of Jimmy Buffett's food legacy.