G.10. Cajun Seafood Gumbo

Most gourmet foods are prepared by a batch process (actually in a batch reactor). Some of the most difficult gourmet foods to prepare are Louisiana specialties, owing to the delicate balance between spices (hotness) and subtle flavors that must be achieved. In preparing Creole and Cajun food, certain flavors are released only by cooking some of the ingredients in hot oil for a period of time.

We shall focus on one specialty, Cajun seafood gumbo. Develop a continuous-flow reactor system that would produce 5 gal/h of a gourmet-quality seafood gumbo. Prepare a flow sheet of the entire operation. Outline certain experiments and areas of research that would be needed to ensure the success of your project. Discuss how you would begin to research these problems. Make a plan for any experiments to be carried out (see Chapter 7, R7.3).