Gumbo

 

Remember the time Andy and I made a trip to New Orleans PC (pre-COVID)? Wow. Over three years have already passed. With the addition of this delicious gumbo, I believe I have shared everything I learned while attending the New Orleans School of Cooking demonstration/class. Pralines. Red Beans and Rice. Yum and double yum. 

Normally everything you find on Man, That Stuff is Good blog is super easy and requires basic skills and minimal prep. Get ready to do a little chopping for this one. When it comes to good ol' Cajun cooking you have to get the veggie and meat Trinities ready so they can make their appearance in the pot at the appropriate time. Normally I follow a recipe of this type to a T. Especially when the flavor is this authentic. I did opt to add shrimp and some okra to the pot this time and substituted turkey sausage as Andouille sausage isn't always available around here.

 

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb. chicken thighs

1 lb. polish sausage (Andouille if you can get your hands on it)

1 lb. raw shrimp, peeled and deveined

1/4 cup lard (I use reserved bacon drippings)

1/2 c. oil

1/2 c. flour

 

TRINITY:

2 c. onions chopped

1 c. celery, chopped

1 c. green pepper, chopped

OTHER ITEMS:

1 tbsp. minced garlic

6 cups chicken stock (Make with water & Better Than Bouillon chicken base)

1 c. green onions, chopped

Creole Seasoning to taste*

File**

Crab boil to taste (start with 1/2 tsp.)

1 tsp. Kitchen Bouquet (for color)

Optional:  

Small bag of frozen or fresh okra--Partially cook and drain the "slime" off. You may need to rinse a few times. Add when the trinity is introduced to the pot.

Cooked Rice. I personally have never eaten gumbo without it so I don't truly consider this an option

Cut up chicken and sausage into similar sized pieces. They will go in the pot first.
Prepare shrimp and set back in refrigerator while you prepare the pot of gumbo.

 Chop onions, celery and green pepper into equally sized pieces. Chop the green onions and set to the side. You will add them when you add the shrimp to the pot.
(Save the veggie scraps to make a nice broth to cook rice in!)

Measure the bacon grease to cook the chicken in and flour to make the roux. Let's get started on this pot of gumbo!

Season the chopped chicken with salt, pepper and little Creole seasoning. In a large pot heat bacon grease drippings, add chicken pieces and cook until lightly browned. Next add the sausage and cook for about ten minutes. Set to the side while you prepare your roux.

One of the lessons I learned at NOSC was how to make a roux. You mix equal parts of oil and flour and stir, stir, stir and then stir some more until you reach that beautiful carmel brown. Patience. I promise it's worth the effort.

Once roux is a nice, rich brown, add the Trinity of onions, celery and green peppers and minced garlic. Cook until the vegetables are tender. Add skillet contents (and optional okra) to the pot and slowly add chicken broth. Bring to a boil. Turn the heat to low and let it simmer for at least an hour. As this is simmering, be sure to frequently stir and scrape the flavor from the side of the pot.

Now is the time to add any extra seasoning. Stir in some liquid crab boil to kick up the flavor volume and a little bit of Kitchen Bouquet to pop the color. (I recommend starting with a teaspoon of both, stirring it well and tasting the broth to see if more needs to be added)

About 10-15 minutes before you are ready to eat, add the raw shrimp and chopped green onions to the pot. It's ready when the shrimp are cooked.

Add spoonfuls of hot, flavorful gumbo over a bed of long grain rice and enjoy with garlic bread.

Great add-ons as you prepare your bowl:

* Joe's Stuff Seasoning from NOSC. I highly recommend it. The flavor is the perfect blend. Not too hot--just right!

** Add File as you prepare your bowl of gumbo to eat. It is used for thickening and adding flavor to the dish. Start with 1/4 tsp. and add if you prefer more. Used in combination with Joe's Stuff guarantees your bowl of gumbo will have you going back for seconds before you finish the first bowl.

 

On a separate note, I found these cute bowl holders at a Lawn and Garden show. They let you eat a piping hot bowl of soup without burning your hands. This is perfect when you're eating outdoors or standing up. :-)