Gumbo

Olive Oil
1/2 cup flour (see below for gluten free suggestion)
1 pound shrimp
1 pound andouille sausage (or what you like)
1 pound ham - cooked
3 1/2 pounds turkey, white and dark meat - cooked
2 cups chopped onions
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 cup chopped celery
2 cups okra
7 cups chicken stock
cayenne
thyme
marjoram
bay leaf
salt


large cast iron Dutch oven or casserole - the largest Le Creuset is fine


Time, there is no reason not to do this a day in advance as it needs 6-7 hours of slow cooking time. It will probably taste better the second day anyway.


Over very low flame, heat the Dutch oven and add oil to cover the bottom, add the flour and stir. You are making a roux, the flour serves as a thickening agent, substitute another one such as corn starch for gluten free roux. This is going to take an hour, stir occasionally, add a little more oil part way through. As the pictures show it will darken, as well as a thickening agent, with flour this will darken and form the color of the gumbo.

 Very low heat, very large enameled cast iron casserole 

 Just enough oil to cover the bottom.

 Add all of the flour

 Stir with wooden spoon

 Get all of the oil in with the flour, add oil if needed.

 Add oil, not much, perhaps a 1/16th of an inch on the bottom.

 Stir, and give it time, it will slowly darken.

You now have a roux, the basis of your gumbo. This is going to stay on the stove on low heat for perhaps 6 more hours and higher heat the next hour.

 Slice the sausage into bite sized pieces, this is done with all of the meat

 Put a little oil in the bottom of a frying pan.

Cook the sausage

 Prepare the trinity; the onions, the celery and the red pepper 
[Note that the noodles are for lunch for which see here Wed. AM]

 The pepper color is for color contrast, but you could use a hotter pepper or other color.

 Add half the vegetables, but not the okra.

 Stir between additions

 Add the boiling chicken stock, which could be any related light stock but we have a lot more chicken stock than any others. 

 Stir

 When it gets back to a gentle boil add the remaining trinity

 Add all of the meat, except the shrimp, stirring between additions.

 The mise, cayenne, marjoram and thyme to taste and a couple of bay leaves. The heat of the dish comes from the cayenne and later some hot sauce, but don't make it hotter than anyone likes. You can always add hot sauce to the served dish.

 Let it sit over low heat for six hours or so. Taste and adjust heat and salt as desired.

About one hour before service add the shrimp, whole but peeled, and increase the heat.

 Put a friendly amount in a bowl, that is about two cups, and add rice.

 Adjust heat to taste, I use Frank's, and add gumbo file.

The wine is a Rosemount Shiraz but a good beer would work well also.

Camera Nikon D-90 AF-S NIKKOR 18-55mm f2.5-5.65G

with internal flash.

 Roux (with photos) Downloadable PDF  Link doesn’t work 

on the PDF itself

Roux (recipe only) Downloadable PDF Link Doesn't work

 on the PDF itself

As always feel free to use and distribute, if you use our pictures 

and/or text then give us credit – thanks.

© 2011 Virginia L. Dyson & Warner W. Johnston