foodyoucancookwithyourkids

[foodyoucancookwithyourkids]

Gumbo

This is my “quick” recipe. It can be done in about an hour, but give yourself 2 hours if it’s the first time you have made it.

1 rotisserie chicken

1lb good Cajun sausage or Andouille

1 big bag frozen okra

1 large onion

4 stalks celery

2 toes garlic

1 teaspoon each: oregano, thyme, salt, black pepper, red pepper flake and Cajun seasoning

2 bay leaves

2 Tablespoons gumbo filé (optional)

1 can Rotel mild

1 cup flour

3/4 cup oil

Start with a roux. The easiest way is to bake it in the oven. If you have a cast iron skillet, use it. Any oven safe skillet will do.

In the skillet mix 1 cup flour and 3/4 cup oil and stir constantly on med heat for 5 minutes.

If you are baking it put it in the oven at 365 degrees and stir it every 15 minutes for about 45 minutes.

If you are cooking it on top of the stove set the heat to med-low and stir every 5 minutes for an hour

Roux is used as a thickener. The darker you get it the more flavor it develops. But as it gets darker it thickens the gumbo less. Once it starts to turn brown and smell like roasted nuts the flour is cooked and it’s good. I like my roux pretty dark, like the color of pecans, or a mocha. Baking is definitely the way to go. When you’ve got the roux working,Pick chicken and set meat aside.

In a large soup pot cover chicken carcass with water and boil on hi 30 mins.

Meanwhile chop all the veg down fine and set aside.

Stir your roux!

When your stock looks good pull out all the bones and discard( Never ever feed chicken bones to your puppers!)

Add all the veg and seasoning and bring to a rolling boil then turn down to med. and let simmer.

Check your roux!

Cube the sausage and brown in a large skillet or pot.

When the sausage is brown add it and the chicken you picked to the pot.

Now is a good time to add water if you need it. The pot should be about 3/4 of the way full.

Taste and add salt now if it needs it

In the skillet or pot you cooked the sausage, use the liquid from the can of rotel to deglaze first, then add the okra and the rotel.

Cook on medium till the okra isn’t slimy. About 10 minutes

When the acid from the tomato breaks down the slime in the okra( SCIENCE! )add it to the pot.

Add gumbo filé now if using.

All you have left is adding the roux to the pot.

In order to do this successfully the roux Must be Cooler than the soup.

Hot roux will boil over violently. Like a volcano at a science fair.

To avoid this you can make the roux in advance, but letting the roux cool for at least 20 minutes should be fine.

Bring the pot to a rolling boil, add cooled roux and stir well for 1 minute.

Cook on medium 10 minutes and it’s done.

Serve over rice

Footnotes

On the gumbo filé. It’s totally optional. It adds an earthy flavor and helps thicken.

On the sausage. If you can’t get good Cajun sausage or andouille it’s better to just skip it.