The Gumbo "Recipe"

 Several folks asked about my gumbo recipe. I don't really have a recipe and it's so easy, you don't need a recipe. I made a pot of gumbo today and I tried to document how I did it all. 

There are a million - probably more - ways to make gumbo. This is the way I do it. I had always made my own roux. My sister told me recently that she now buys her roux already made in a jar. I mentioned it on Facebook and every one of my friends in Louisiana who responded said they now use store bought roux. I tried it for the gumbo I made today and I will NEVER make roux again!  :)  This is the roux I ordered. Prompt shipping and very expertly packaged with foam peanuts and bubble wrap.

Let me also say that there are several brands of roux in a jar and there's the one where the flour is cooked in oil and there's a "dry" roux where the flour is toasted in the oven. I used the one in the jars with the oil.

I use a Lodge #8 cast iron Dutch oven. I would guess that it makes enough gumbo for at least 8 hungry adults. According to Google, it holds 5 quarts. Of course, you don't have to make 5 quarts. I probably made 4 quarts. We both had it for lunch and I had a 1/2 gallon jar and a quart jar left over (3 quarts left over) and between us, we probably ate about a quart for lunch before I filled up the jars for leftovers.

I do as much as I can the day before. I'm sure some people make their gumbo the same day but I'm not real sure how. I do think it's better the day after it's made but did all the prep work yesterday, got it all put together and simmering by about 6 this morning and we ate about 2 p.m. so that gave it a good bit of time for the flavors to blend.

What you will need for my method of gumbo. There are many ways to make gumbo but in my world, tomatoes do NOT go in gumbo!

• A chicken - don't get the tiniest one you can find. Don't get the biggest one you can find. You need some fat in the broth to make it good! If you're using a pot bigger than I used, you can whatever size chicken will fit into your pot (along with all the other ingredients).
• Seasonings (I use a good Cajun seasoning - Cajun Redhead; salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, red pepper, bay leaves - whatever you want. Those are the ones I use).
• Two onions, 1 large bell pepper, 3 stalks of celery, several cloves of garlic, sliced green onions, chopped parsley. I usually use one jalapeno pepper too.
• Roux
• Sausage

NOTE - sausage: To me, the sausage makes the gumbo. Here, I cannot get sausage anywhere near what I like to use. When I go to Louisiana or when Chad goes, we bring back lots of sausage. It doesn't matter how many times or how big the print is, even if it says CAJUN, I haven't found any in this area to be good, flavorful cajun type sausage. Hopefully those of you in larger areas can find good sausage.

Yesterday's activities:

• Boiled a chicken in a pot of water with salt, 3 quartered onions, 5 garlic cloves, 6 stalks of celery and a couple of bay leaves.
• Removed the chicken from the pot and let it cool.
• Strained and poured the broth into one half gallon jar and one 1-1/2 pint jar.
• Picked the meat off the bones. Put that in a quart jar.
• Chopped two onions, 4 cloves of garlic, 2 large stalks of celery and 1-1/2 bell peppers. Those filled one 1-1/2 pint jar. I sauteed it all but pulled half of the veggies out to freeze for another batch of gumbo in a couple of weeks.
• Sliced and browned the sausage.

As it cooled, it all went into the fridge.

Today's Activities:

1. Slice the sausage and brown it in the Dutch oven. Once browned, remove the sausage, leaving the grease in the pot unless there's a massive amount and then you can remove whatever isn't needed for the gumbo.

2. Add a bit of bacon grease, butter - oil of your preference - to the skillet/Dutch oven if there isn't enough left from the sausage and add the onions, celery, garlic and peppers. Saute til they're all tender.

3. Add warm/hot broth (water if you don't have broth but it's so much better with a good, rich broth) and add a couple of bay leaves.  

4. Add roux. I used about one-third of the jar. I started with about 1/4 cup and then added, letting it all simmer for a few minutes and adding more as needed. What's "needed"? Gumbo isn't supposed to be thin or watering and it isn't supposed to be thick like gravy. You will learn how thick or thin you like yours.

5. Gently stir until all of the roux has "melted" into the water. Add more roux if needed to get the gumbo to the right consistency.

6. Add the chicken to the gumbo and let simmer at least a few hours.

7. It will be great to eat the same day (over rice with a bit file' added to each bowl) but it will be better the next day.

Here's the quick version of the recipe:

Boil a chicken. Save the broth.
Cook sliced sausage in Dutch oven, remove and set aside.
Saute chopped onions, peppers and celery in same Dutch oven.
Add hot broth or water (homemade broth is much better).
Add roux until the gumbo is the desired thickness.
Add shredded chicken. Add sausage if desired.
Taste and add seasonings to taste.
Before serving, add chopped green onions and parsley.

Please ask if something doesn't look right.