Authentic New Orleans Gumbo
From dmiller64116 17 years ago
Ingredients
- 5 Qts. chicken stock (MUST be homemade!) shopping list
- 1-1/4 cups flour shopping list
- 1 cup oil shopping list
- 1 chicken or guinea hen, without giblets, cut up shopping list
- 1 to 1-1/2 pounds andouillesausage, sliced about 1/4" thick on the bias (you may substitute hot or mild smoked sausage if good andouille isn't available) and/or fresh Creole hot sausage, browned shopping list
- 4 pounds shrimp, peeled and deveined shopping list
- 6 blue crabs, cleaned, broken in half and claws pulled off (or for a more elegant looking gumbo, omit and instead add 1-1/2 pounds lump white crabmeat, picked over for shells and cartilage) shopping list
- 3 pounds okra, sliced (leave out if you don't like okra, but be sure to add filé at the end if you leave out the okra) shopping list
- 2 onions, chopped shopping list
- 1 bunch green onions with tops, chopped shopping list
- 2 bell peppers, chopped shopping list
- 5 ribs celery, chopped shopping list
- several cloves garlic, minced shopping list
- 3 bay leaves shopping list
- 1 bunch fresh parsley, chopped shopping list
- creole seasoning to taste, OR shopping list
- black, white and cayenne peppers, to taste shopping list
- salt to taste shopping list
- Few dashes Tabasco, or to taste. shopping list
- 1 - 2 tablespoons filé powder (ONLY IF YOU DON'T USE okra!) shopping list
- Steaming hot Louisiana long-grain rice shopping list
How to make it
- For the roux: Blend flour and oil thoroughly in a thick skillet and cook over medium-high to high heat, stirring CONSTANTLY. BE VERY CAREFUL NOT TO BURN IT!! If you see black specks in the roux, you've screwed it up. Dump it out and start over. Keep cooking and stirring until the roux gets darker and darker. It's best to use a very heavy bot or skillet for roux-making, especially cast iron. With a good cast iron Dutch oven or skillet, you can get a beautiful dark roux in only about 20 minutes.
- You should turn the fire down or off as the roux nears the right color, because the heat from the pan will continue cooking it. You can also add your onions, bell peppers and celery to the roux as it's near the end of cooking to arrest the cooking process and to soften the vegetables (this is the way I like to do it). KEEP STIRRING until the roux is relatively cool. Add the roux to the stock.
- Sprinkle the chicken pieces with Creole seasoning and brown in the oven. Slice the sausage and brown, pouring off all the fat (especially if you're using fresh Creole hot sausage).
- Sauté the onions, green onions, bell pepper and celery if you haven't already added them to the roux, and add to the stock. Add the chicken and sausage(s). Add the bay leaves and Creole seasoning (or ground peppers) to taste and stir. Bring to a boil and immediately reduce to a simmer; let simmer for about 45 minutes. Keep tasting and adjusting seasonings as needed.
- Add the okra and cook another 30 minutes or so. Make sure that the "ropiness" or "stringiness" from the okra is gone, add the parsley, crab halves and claws (if you're using them). Cook for another 15 minutes, then add the shrimp (and if you've omitted the hard-shell crabs, add the lump crabmeat now). Give it another 6-8 minutes or so, until the shrimp are just done, turning pink. Be very careful not to overcook the shrimp; adding the shrimp should be the very last step.
- If there is any fat on the surface of the gumbo, try to skim off as much of it as possible.
- Serve generous amounts in bowls over about 1/2 cup of hot rice -- claws, shells, bones and all (if you've made the original "rustic" version). Remember that the rice goes in the bowl first, and it is not an optional step, despite the trend among some New Orleans restaurants to serve a riceless gumbo.
- You may, if you like, sprinkle a small amount of gumbo filé in your individual serving for a little more flavor; just remember that if you're making a filé gumbo, it should be added to the pot off the fire for its proper thickening action.
The Rating
Reviewed by 3 people-
This is the way I remember my mother making gumbo. Thanks so much for a tremendous recipe. I can't wait to make it for my husband.
valinkenmore
in Malott loved it
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It just can't get any better, can it? This one is on for the weekend. A great recipe with all the finer details included. Thanks
trev
in Bogangar loved it
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Thanks for the recipe! Great reminder and guide making this dish all the way in France! Used chicken, smoked sausage and mussels. Yum.
Teflon_Chef
in loved it
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