Gumbo

I was on Facebook this morning talking about how cold it was out when one of my girlfriends asked me for a soup recipe. It occurred to me, as I was sending her a recipe, that I did not have anything planned for my own dinner. With it being so cold out, soup was a pretty darn good idea.

I have been making chili like crazy over the last few weeks so it was definitely time for something different. So I decided to make some gumbo. 

One of the most important components of a great gumbo is the roux. For a roux you will need flour, fat (oil), a Dutch pot, wooden spoon and a fair amount of patience. A good roux can take anywhere from 20-45 minutes to make. You start the roux by heating the oil in a Dutch pot. When the oil is just shy of smoking, add the flour in gradually, stirring constantly with a whisk. When the mixture is smooth, reduce the heat to medium and start stirring, for even browning.

As the flour cooks, the roux will gradually turn the color of peanut butter. For a dark roux, continue cooking the flour until it resembles chocolate syrup. When the roux is done, you will incorporate your celery, peppers and onion. Make sure you stand back from the pot. Once you add the vegetables, the mixture will pop and sizzle. It is important not to cook the roux on too high heat or it will burn.

Gumbo

2 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 c chopped onion
3/4 c chopped celery
1 pound okra, chopped
1/4 c olive oil
1/4 c all-purpose flour
4 cups water
2 c chicken stock
1 tsp white sugar
1 1/2 tbsp parsley
1 sprig fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 pound andouille sausage, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1/2 pound crabmeat, flaked
1 pound medium shrimp - peeled and deveined
1/2 tsp Tobasco sauce
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp lemon juice

Melt 2 tbsp olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook garlic, onions, celery and okra, stirring constantly until golden brown. Set aside.

In a large heavy bottomed stock pot over medium-high heat, combine 1/4 cup of olive oil and flour. Cook, stirring constantly, until the roux becomes chocolate brown. Stir in the vegetable mixture. Cook, stirring, until vegetables are tender, about 8-10 minutes. Stir in water, chicken stock, and sugar. Add seasonings. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 2 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.

Add shrimp, crabmeat and andouille to stock pot. Stir in Tobasco sauce, Worcestershire sauce and lemon juice. Simmer an additional 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove bay leaves and serve with rice.
 

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