Goodolgumbo Recipes

GUMBO

Steps:

• For the brine: Combine the chicken pieces, salt, hot sauce, liquid smoke and black pepper with 4 cups water in a large resealable bag and place inside a container (in case of leaks). Refrigerate for 8 to 12 hours. Drain and discard the brine.
• For the stock: If you have the time, allow the chicken to drain and dry out about 30 minutes prior to searing. It will create a better crust on the chicken and more brown bits on the bottom of the pot, ultimately adding more flavor to the gumbo.
• Sprinkle the chicken pieces, including the reserved neck, back and wing tips, with the salt and pepper. In a large Dutch oven (enameled cast iron preferred), heat the oil over high heat until shimmering. Add the chicken pieces and brown well on all sides, turning as needed. Add the celery, carrots, onions and jalapenos, and continue to brown for an additional 10 minutes. Add 1 gallon water and the liquid smoke and bring to a boil, and then reduce the heat to maintain a strong simmer. Cook for 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.
• After 1 1/2 hours, remove the chicken pieces, discarding the back, neck and wing tips. Strain the stock and reserve. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, remove the meat and shred, discarding the bones and fat.
• For the gumbo: In a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, add the sausages and cook until the fat has rendered down, about 5 minutes. Remove the sausages from the pan and set aside. Add the bacon fat and, when shimmering, add the onions, celery, bell peppers and Anaheim peppers. Saute, stirring frequently, until the onions are just starting to color, 10 to 12 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 2 to 3 minutes more, being careful not to let it burn. Add the flour, 1/4 cup at a time, stirring constantly. Stir until a dark golden roux has developed, 11 to 13 minutes. Add 1 cup at a time of the stock, incorporating well after each addition, to total 6 cups.
• Add the reserved sausages, shredded chicken, cayenne and white pepper into the pot. Heat through and add the salt and black pepper. If the gumbo is too thick, add a bit more stock to the pot, a little at a time, until the desired consistency is reached.
• Serve over rice and garnish with parsley.

GOOD NEW ORLEANS CREOLE GUMBO

Steps:

• Make a roux by whisking the flour and 3/4 cup bacon drippings together in a large, heavy saucepan over medium-low heat to form a smooth mixture. Cook the roux, whisking constantly, until it turns a rich mahogany brown color. This can take 20 to 30 minutes; watch heat carefully and whisk constantly or roux will burn. Remove from heat; continue whisking until mixture stops cooking.
• Place the celery, onion, green bell pepper, and garlic into the work bowl of a food processor, and pulse until the vegetables are very finely chopped. Stir the vegetables into the roux, and mix in the sausage. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium-low heat, and cook until vegetables are tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat, and set aside.
• Bring the water and beef bouillon cubes to a boil in a large Dutch oven or soup pot. Stir until the bouillon cubes dissolve, and whisk the roux mixture into the boiling water. Reduce heat to a simmer, and mix in the sugar, salt, hot pepper sauce, Cajun seasoning, bay leaves, thyme, stewed tomatoes, and tomato sauce. Simmer the soup over low heat for 1 hour; mix in 2 teaspoons of file gumbo powder at the 45-minute mark.
• Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons of bacon drippings in a skillet, and cook the okra with vinegar over medium heat for 15 minutes; remove okra with slotted spoon, and stir into the simmering gumbo. Mix in crabmeat, shrimp, and Worcestershire sauce, and simmer until flavors have blended, 45 more minutes. Just before serving, stir in 2 more teaspoons of file gumbo powder.

GUMBO

Steps:

• Heat a medium skillet over medium-high heat; add flour. Toast, stirring frequently, until deep golden brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate to stop it from cooking.
• Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add sausage and cook, stirring often, until browned, about 5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon, transfer to a large bowl, and reserve. Add the chicken, and brown, turning once, about 5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon, and add to the bowl with the sausage. Add the pepper, onion, and celery to the Dutch oven. Season with salt and pepper, and cook until softened, about 4 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon, and add to the sausage and chicken.
• Reduce heat to medium-low, and add the butter to the Dutch oven. Once melted, sprinkle in the toasted flour, and stir until combined. Continue cooking until bubbles form and mixture becomes very thick and dark brown, about 4 minutes. Add the stock, tomatoes, okra, thyme, bay leaf, and reserved meat and vegetables. Raise heat and bring to a boil; let simmer, uncovered, until chicken is tender and liquid has thickened, about 1 1/4 hours. Remove thyme, and serve hot over rice.

SEAFOOD GUMBO

Steps:

• In a heavy Dutch oven, combine flour and oil until smooth. Cook over medium-high heat for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to medium. Cook and stir about 10 minutes more or until mixture is reddish brown. , Add the onion, celery, green pepper and green onions; cook and stir for 5 minutes. Add the chicken broth, water, okra, paprika, salt, oregano and pepper. Bring to boil; reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes. , Add shrimp and parsley. Simmer, uncovered, about 5 minutes more or until seafood is done. Remove from heat; stir in Cajun seasoning.

GUMBO..... GEORGIA STYLE!

Steps:

• In a heavy deep soup pot, heat olive oil on med/hi heat. Open 1 can of broth for standby, put onion and celery into oil stir until all are coated with oil. Let simmer, when they start to sweat and oil starts to dissipate add small amounts of broth to soften veggies, after 5 minutes add in Okra (USE CUT UP KIND). Add remainder of broth; bring to a boil for 10 minutes. With a measuring cup, scoop out ¼ cup (+/-) of broth and set aside. Add in remainder of ingredients EXCEPT Shrimp and Flour. Let simmer for about 20 minutes.
• Mix ¼ cup of flour into reserved broth and mix until it is no longer lumpy. Mixture should be thick but still liquid. Pour into gumbo and simmer until okra is soft. Add shrimp, turn heat off, cover and let sit for 5 minutes, shrimp will cook in the heat of the gumbo.
• Serve with rice.

GOOD OL' GUMBO

Steps:

• You'll need a large cooking pot and 1 frying pan (iron skillets always work best for this).
• Cut up chicken into cubes and start boiling it in the large cooking pot. Let chicken cook until step # 13. May need to keep adding water as it boils down.
• Dice onions, bell pepper, and celery then set aside (a.k.a. the 'trinity').
• Heat the ½ cup cooking oil in pan then add okra and cook for 15-18 minutes (browned a little bit) then set the okra aside.
• Put the 3 tablespoons of butter in the 2nd large cooking pot, heat it up and start sautéing the onions, bell pepper, and celery (trinity) for 10 minutes. You'll want to burn it a bit to help add flavor to the gumbo.
• Add the large can of tomatoes along with it's juices and smash up the tomatoes as you stir.
• Add the 2 cups of chicken stock, 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, ½ tspn. oregano, ½ tspn. Garlic powder, and okra, excluding the okra oil.
• Cover and cook for 30 minutes.
• *While that's cooking make your roux:.
• In frying pan heat 3 tablespoons oil up on med high.
• Add 3 tablespoons of flour, and brown till you get a dark chocolate color , stirring constantly (this is the stinky part of making gumbo, but necessary).
• Once brown, add the 1 ½ cup of chicken stock to make a gravy. Stir out all the lumps with whisk and set aside.
• After the 30 minutes cooking time is up, add the roux and meat(s) to the pot.
• Add salt and pepper (and Tony Chachere's Seasoning & Louisiana Hot Sauce).
• Cover again and cook for additional 30 minutes.
• Serve over rice or eat as a soup.