this is our regular gumbo, served over rice OR with a big gob of cold potato salad dropped into it. We usually have 3-4 meats in every batch, for example chicken, cajun sausage , shrimp, crab meat, crawfish, oysters, catfish, rabbit......just pick 3 or 4 and drop them in at the right time. The recipe calls for a whole chicken. I usually have chicken leg quarters and use 3-4 of them instead. Can't get fresh tomatoes? use a can of chopped/stewed.
Here ya go:
Classic Chicken Gumbo
2 tb Vegetable shortening
2 tb Flour,all-purpose
2 Onions,finely chopped
1 Green bell pepper,fine chop
5 c Warm chicken broth (or water and chicken stock concentrate)
8 Tomatoes,peeled/chopped
1/2 lb Okra,cut into 1/4" pieces(very optional)
1/2 c Uncooked rice
2 Ribs celery,chopped
1 ts Salt
1/2 ts Pepper
1/2 ts or more File' powder
1/4 ts Thyme
1 Bay leaf
1/4 ts or more cayenne pepper
Couple of good shakes of Tobasco or equal (if your wife isn't watching, shake twice more)
1 Broiler-fryer chicken, room temp, not cooked. drop in the chicken (or duck or rabbit) and let it simmer for a couple hours, then remove and pick the bones, and return the meat to the pot
1 nice handful of shrimp and/or couple of crabs, boiled and cracked and/or 6-8" of Anduille cajun sausage chopped, and/or nice handful of crawfish tail meat , maybe some oysters too at the last minute.
1. In large Dutch oven, melt shortening over low heat; add flour and cook,
stirring, until brown, about 10 minutes (do not hurry; if flour burns, roux
is ruined).
2. Add onions and bell pepper; cook until onion is translucent, about 5
minutes.
3. Slowly add warm broth; stir until broth reaches a boil.
4. Add tomatoes, okra, rice, celery, salt, pepper, thyme and bay leaf;
bring to a boil.
5. Add chicken; when mixture boils again, reduce heat to low, cover and
cook about 20 minutes.( or two hours) Pay attention and give it a stir once in a while.
Close your eyes, pretend you are sitting on the porch at the little cabin on the bayou, tip your chair back and balance the bowl of boiling hot gumbo on your chest and spoon it into your trap......now....THAT'S GOOD EATS.
Save some for breakfast, it's better the next day.
piper (I've forgotten what people eat in Michigan!!)
Here ya go:
Classic Chicken Gumbo
2 tb Vegetable shortening
2 tb Flour,all-purpose
2 Onions,finely chopped
1 Green bell pepper,fine chop
5 c Warm chicken broth (or water and chicken stock concentrate)
8 Tomatoes,peeled/chopped
1/2 lb Okra,cut into 1/4" pieces(very optional)
1/2 c Uncooked rice
2 Ribs celery,chopped
1 ts Salt
1/2 ts Pepper
1/2 ts or more File' powder
1/4 ts Thyme
1 Bay leaf
1/4 ts or more cayenne pepper
Couple of good shakes of Tobasco or equal (if your wife isn't watching, shake twice more)
1 Broiler-fryer chicken, room temp, not cooked. drop in the chicken (or duck or rabbit) and let it simmer for a couple hours, then remove and pick the bones, and return the meat to the pot
1 nice handful of shrimp and/or couple of crabs, boiled and cracked and/or 6-8" of Anduille cajun sausage chopped, and/or nice handful of crawfish tail meat , maybe some oysters too at the last minute.
1. In large Dutch oven, melt shortening over low heat; add flour and cook,
stirring, until brown, about 10 minutes (do not hurry; if flour burns, roux
is ruined).
2. Add onions and bell pepper; cook until onion is translucent, about 5
minutes.
3. Slowly add warm broth; stir until broth reaches a boil.
4. Add tomatoes, okra, rice, celery, salt, pepper, thyme and bay leaf;
bring to a boil.
5. Add chicken; when mixture boils again, reduce heat to low, cover and
cook about 20 minutes.( or two hours) Pay attention and give it a stir once in a while.
Close your eyes, pretend you are sitting on the porch at the little cabin on the bayou, tip your chair back and balance the bowl of boiling hot gumbo on your chest and spoon it into your trap......now....THAT'S GOOD EATS.
Save some for breakfast, it's better the next day.
piper (I've forgotten what people eat in Michigan!!)
and visited a restaurant specializing in "authentic Cajun cooking". They brought out a mixed plate with etouffee', jambalaya and a PILE of gumbo. Gumbo most definitely cannot be served in a pile! It is a hearty soup of meat and veggies serve over rice( or potato salad- right Keith).