Just Gumbo
Getting ready for Fat Tuesday, I started looking for recipes and found this one. You can use comparable amounts of Crawfish or Shrimp. We have a member of our family that is allergic to shellfish so we add it after we have ladled out her portion. This makes a lot of Gumbo, Cher!.
Ingredients:
- ¼ cup canola oil
- 2 pounds chicken skinless and boneless chicken thighs
- 8 oz Andouille sausage
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- ½ cup flour
- Cajun Holy Trinity with da Pope: 1 medium onion dice; 1 medium green bell pepper diced and 1 cup chopped celery (about 3 sticks) ; 2 teaspoons minced garlic (da pope!)
- ½ pound shrimp, mudbugs or crablegs (optional)
- 1/2 to 1 tablespoon Creole seasoning.
- ½ tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon thyme fresh or dried
- 2 bay leaves 1
- 14- oz can tomatoes (or fresh, diced)
- 6 cups chicken stock (sub with water)
- 1 pound shrimp (peeled and de-veined) (optional)
- 2-4 cups chopped okra
- 1 tablespoon gumbo file
- 2 green onions, chopped small
- 2 Tbs chopped parsley
Directions:
- Lightly season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat the oil over medium heat in a heavy bottomed Dutch Cook the chicken until browned on both sides. Remove and chop into bite sized chunks.
- Cook sausage until browned, remove and set aside with chicken.
- Make your roux. Melt the butter and whisk in oil and flour until smooth. Cook on medium heat, stirring continuously, for about 20-30 minutes or until your roux turns a rich dark brown color – just like chocolate. Remove from stove and let it cool.
- Add Cajun trinity and da pope and cook for 8- 10 minutes until softened. Add roux stirring frequently until all are coated.
- Return chicken and sausage to the pan and mix. Add creole seasoning, paprika, thyme, bay leaves and let it cook for ~5 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes and about 6 cups of chicken stock, bring to a boil and let it simmer for about 45 – 50 minutes.
- Add okra for the last 15 minutes or so . until they are just tender.
- Stir in file powder, green onions, and chopped parsley.
- Set aside non-seafood portions.
- Add seafood, simmer for 5 more minutes until the shrimp are pink.
- Adjust thickness soup and flavor with broth or water and salt.