Louisiana Gumbo

Who doesn't love Gumbo?!?! I don't know....but being raised in the "boot" I think it's a requirement to love it. And I feel like as a wife from the south if you want your husband to give you anything and everything, you better know how to cook better then his Mother and a good Gumbo can help with that!!!!

Imma tell you right now the roux can either make or drastically break your Gumbo sooooo let's get it right!!! A great dark nutty roux, the "holy trinity"(celery, onions, green bell peppers),and your preferred meat(s) and you will have your man loving you FOREVER. My husband said,"This Gumbo alone will never allow me to leave you." :)

First things first...what's a Roux?

Roux is a cooked mixture of equal parts flour and fat. The fat in the roux can be butter, oil, bacon grease, or lard. I use bacon grease if i have some but normally I use oil. Roux can range in color from white to brown to black, depending on how long it's cooked. The darker the color of the roux, the deeper the flavor. I get my Roux to the color of my skin, which is Carmel like.

Next, you need to figure out what kind of gumbo you want, meat, seafood, or a combo. I usually put chicken, Andoullie sausage, blue or snow crab, and shrimp in mine but do what you like!

Ingredients:

5 quarts chicken stock
• 1 dozen crabs, whatever is available in your region
• 2 pounds medium to large shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 2 pounds smoked sausage, cut into quarters
• 2 pounds chicken breasts, cubed
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 large onions, coarsely chopped
• 6 large cloves garlic, chopped
• 5 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 bunch green onions, chopped
• 1 large green bell pepper, chopped
• 2 tablespoons Creole seasoning like Tony Chachere’s Original Creole Seasoning
• 4 bay leaves
• 4 tablespoons filé powder
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Steamed rice

Cook the sausages and chicken in a stockpot in batches over medium heat, turning occasionally, until the pieces are slightly brown and much of the fat has been rendered. Remove the sausage and set aside on a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Discard the excess fat remaining in the stockpot before cooking the next batch of sausage.

Once all the sausage and chicken has been cooked, wipe the excess oil from the stockpot, being careful not to scrub away those bits of sausage and chicken that have stuck to the bottom of the stockpot.


Roux time......

Melt the fat in the stockpot. When warm and melted sprinkle the flour in a little at a time, stirring. Stir constantly until carmel brown (this may take 20 to 30 minutes). If it burns even slightly(black specs), throw it out and start over again.

Add the onions to the roux, stirring constantly. Once the onions are wilted, add the garlic, celery, green onions and bell pepper. Add chicken stock into the large stockpot. Add the browned sausage and bay leaves and bring everything to a boil over medium-high heat. Then reduce the heat to medium and continue to cook.

Cook the gumbo for 60 minutes. Add the crabs and shrimp and cook for 15 minutes longer. Remove the gumbo from the heat and stir in the Creole seasoning and filé powder. Let the gumbo rest for 15 to 20 minutes. As it cools, oil should form on the top. Skim the oil with a large spoon and discard. Taste the gumbo and adjust seasoning with more salt and pepper as needed. Serve the gumbo ladled over steamed rice.

" Laissez les bons temps rouler "