Game Day Gumbo Recipes

VALERIE'S VERY BEST GUMBO

Steps:

• Warm 1 cup oil over medium heat in a large Dutch oven until hot. Add the flour to the pot all at once, whisking until the consistency is uniform. Cook the roux, whisking occasionally, until it is the color of a tarnished penny, about 20 minutes. Do not let it darken any further. Carefully add the celery, bell peppers, onion, chopped scallions and garlic to the pot, working away from you as the hot roux may spatter. Stir with a wooden spoon until the onions begin to soften, about 5 minutes.
• Add enough stock to just cover the vegetables, about 1 quart, and stir to combine. The roux may separate. Add the tomatoes with their juices, andouille and smoked sausages, cayenne, bay leaves, 1 1/2 tablespoons salt, 1 tablespoon black pepper and the remaining stock, about 1 more quart. Partially cover and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a medium skillet over high heat. Add the okra and cook, stirring, until the gel dries out slightly, about 3 minutes. Add to the Dutch oven.
• Taste the gumbo for seasoning and adjust as desired. Add the chicken, cook until warmed through and serve, or simmer up to 2 hours more to concentrate the flavors, adding the chicken 20 minutes before serving.
• Sprinkle with the reserved sliced scallions and serve over rice. Serve with hot sauce and file powder if using.

"BIG EASY" GUMBO

Steps:

• In 4- to 6-quart Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat. Gradually stir in flour with whisk; cook 5 to 7 minutes, stirring constantly, until flour is chocolate colored. (Do not burn mixture.)
• Reduce heat to medium. Stir in onion, bell pepper, celery, Creole seasoning and garlic. Cook 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Gradually stir in broth. Add chicken, sausage and black-eyed peas. Heat to boiling over medium-high heat; reduce heat to low. Simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Stir in shrimp; cook 5 minutes or just until shrimp are pink.

GAME DAY GUMBO

Steps:

• In a Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons butter over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook and stir until browned. Remove from pan., In same pan, brown sausage over medium heat; remove from pan and drain on paper towels., Heat remaining butter in same pan over medium heat. Add carrots, celery and pepper; cook and stir until tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer., Stir in flour until blended; gradually stir in stock, water, tomatoes and rice mixes. Return chicken and sausage to pan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, until rice is tender, 20-25 minutes.

GLUTEN-FREE GAME-DAY GUMBO (INSTANT POT)

Steps:

• Put the instant pot on saute.
• Add a little oil to the pot.
• Add sausages and saute for a few minutes until a little brown and remove to a plate with paper towels.
• If using cut up chicken breasts, add a little more oil and add chicken and cook until outsides are browning and remove to a plate with no paper towels.
• Add the vegetable oil and flour and just mix until the dry flour is dissolved in oil. **.
• Add vegetables and saute, adding the thyme, seasonings above including the bay leaves.
• Add tomatoes and chicken broth, and stir to scrape the bottom of the pot.
• Add meats back into the pot. (If using canned chicken, add now).
• Put the lid on and set on pressure cook (or manual) for 7 minutes if using canned chicken and 10-12 minutes if using cut up chicken breasts.
• Natural release for 10-15 minutes.
• Stir in parsley and the green onions except for the green tops you saved for garnish.
• Put in bowls along with the cooked rice and put green onion tops on top.
• ** You can buy canned chicken at your grocery store. I used 12.5-ounce cans and you may need to buy more than 2 cans if your grocery store sells smaller cans.
• ** For a thicker gumbo add 1/2°C roux (flour but only use the same 1/4 cup of oil).

WILD GAME GUMBO

Steps:

• Add 2 quarts of water, chicken, and 1 1/2 teaspoon salt to a large pot.
• Bring to a boil; cover, lower heat, and simmer 1 hour or until chicken is tender.
• Take chicken from stock pot; chill broth, then remove fat from broth.
• Remove chicken meat from bones; chop into bite-size pieces; set aside.
• Add dove breasts and next 9 ingredients to a large pot; add water to cover.
• Bring to a boil; cover, lower heat, and simmer for 2 hours.
• Take meat out of broth; strain broth and set aside.
• Remove meat from bones and chop into bite-size pieces; set aside.
• Brown sausage in a large skillet over medium heat.
• Transfer sausage to a paper-towel lined plate.
• Add bacon drippings to sausage drippings; heat over medium heat until hot.
• Add in flour; cook, stirring constantly until the color of caramel (about 20 mintes) (this is the roux).
• Add onion, celery, and pepper; cook/stir 10 minutes.
• Add roux to the chicken stock in a large pot; cover and simmer for 30 minutes.
• Add game meat, sausage, chicken, hot sauce, cayenne, and Worcestershire sauce; stir to combine.
• Add reserve game stock if more liquid is needed; simmer, uncovered, for 2 hours; stir occasionally.
• Remove bay leaf; serve over hot cooked rice.

SUNDAY GUMBO

Steps:

• In a Dutch oven, brown sausage and chicken in oil. Remove with a slotted spoon and keep warm. In the drippings, saute red pepper, onion and celery until tender. Stir in the seasonings; cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the broth, rice and sausage mixture; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes or until rice is tender., Stir in tomatoes, shrimp and okra; cook for 10 minutes or until shrimp turn pink, stirring occasionally.

BAYOU GUMBO

Steps:

• Mix flour and oil in 1-quart heavy saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat 5 minutes, stirring constantly; reduce heat to medium. Cook about 10 minutes, stirring constantly, until mixture turns reddish brown.
• Place flour-oil mixture in 3 1/2- to 4-quart slow cooker. Stir in remaining ingredients except rice, water and shrimp.
• Cover and cook on low heat setting 7 to 9 hours or until okra is tender.
• About 25 minutes before serving, cook rice in 3 cups water as directed on package. Meanwhile, stir shrimp into gumbo. Cover and cook on low heat setting 20 minutes. Serve gumbo over rice.