The Basics of Gumbo
Gumbo is such a rich, warm and comforting dish. My Cajun heritage and upbringing includes a delicious gumbo at most family gatherings. It is a wonderfully versatile dish, which you can adjust to your liking. Seafood gumbo, brimming with fresh Gulf shrimp, oysters and crabmeat or my great-grandmother’s technique of putting the whole chicken the pot, feet and all–the possibilities are endless. Although this is great dish any time of year, when the weather turns cooler, gumbo brings comfort like no other supper.
Ingredients
2/3 cup oil
¾ cup flour
1 bunch celery, chopped (leaves included)
2 green bell peppers, chopped
2 onions chopped
2 pounds chicken, thighs and breasts, chopped
2 pounds sausage, chopped
4 cups low sodium chicken broth
4 cups water
Salt, Cajun Seasoning to taste
Rice, for serving
Potato salad, for serving
Optional Garnishes: Chopped green onion, pickled okra, hot sauce
Instructions
This recipe will make a very large amount of gumbo. We usually eat some the first day or two and then freeze the rest for another day. It freezes beautifully in a freezer safe food storage bag. It can be reheated in a pot on the stove.
On a large cutting board, chop the celery, bell pepper and onions (often referred to as the trinity) and set aside.
Heat oil in a large, stock pot over medium high heat. Add the flour, and with a wooden spoon, begin to stir the flour and oil together as the begin to cook. The secret to a perfect roux is that you have to stay with it, giving it your undivided attention. You are looking to get your roux to a milk to dark chocolate color slowly. This takes some time and a lot of stirring. If you try to go too fast, the roux will burn, and it will not have the rich, nutty flavor you are looking for. Once your roux has the right color (pictured below) you can add in all your vegetables, stirring well. This will slow the cooking of the roux while you bring your gumbo together. Add about a teaspoon of salt to the vegetables as you stir. Slowly pour in the chicken broth and water, stirring well to make sure the roux incorporates with the liquids. Bring the liquid to a boil.
Now it is time to add the meats to the pot. I pre-roasted my chicken in the oven and then removed the skin and bones and chopped it before adding it to the gumbo. Add the chicken and sausage to the pot, returning it to a rolling boil, then lowering to simmer. Season with salt, pepper and cajun seasoning to your tastes. At this point, you can leave the pot simmering all day. The longer it simmers, the better it will taste, honestly. Prepare rice with the package instructions (I use parboiled rice when making gumbo. It has a good texture, and the grains stay separate. You can use any kind of rice you would like.) I also prepare the potato salad and the garnishes while the gumbo simmers.
To serve, place a large spoonful of rice on one side of the bowl and a large spoonful of potato salad on the other side. Ladle some of the gumbo over top of both and garnish as you’d like. Enjoy!
Notes
