Gumbo

[CajunKnight]

3 TBSP flour
1 TBSP cooking oil
3 cups diced onions
3 bell peppers diced (take seeds out)
1-3 chile peppers diced (take seeds out)(to reduce heat and keep chile flavor remove white ribs inside)
3 cups diced celery
3 cups chopped okra
1/2 pound boneless skinless chicken cubed
1/2 pound smoke sausage sliced 1/4 " thick

I never use both crab and shrimp together, the taste actually conflict in a good gumbo. I prefer chicken and sausage only.
1 cups cooked shrimp (optional)
1 cups cooked lump crab meat (optional)

8 cups water or stock (Chicken broth, shrimp stock)
1 1/4 tsp paprika
1 tsp salt (or to taste)
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp Chinese red pepper or cayenne
1 TBSP gumbo file (if you cant find it then leave it out but it really makes great gumbo)

In a large cast iron pot make roux with flour and oil. Add onions, peppers and celery (this is called a trinity) let sweat down a bit, add small amount of water if trinity starts to stick. Add chicken and chillies. Allow to cook for about 2 minutes.
Add all remaining ingredients EXCEPT rice shrimp and crab.
Simmer over low heat for at least one hour.
Add shrimp and crab if using and simmer 5 minutes more

Serve over cooked rice. You can sprinkle some gumbo file on rice before adding gumbo.


As for WFO seems like similar to creole would work here also
http://www.fornobravo.com/forum/f25/...last-4062.html

[james]

That's it!

James

[CajunKnight]

James I had to go back and make a couple of changes. I had the amounts wrong before.

[SpringJim]

Okay, what about those secret ingredients!

[james]

Amounts? What are amounts?

This is definitely not a cook by weight dish. :-)

James

[CajunKnight]

the secret is you, its gumbo you start with the basics and make it what you want.

Amounts on the spices. I had it set for a 4x batch before. That would hurt some of the more sensitive tongues and throats out there. Real quick tip on cajun cooking... its about taste not heat and if its blackened its not cajun.

[SpringJim]

Originally Posted by CajunKnight

1 TBSP gumbo file (if you cant find it then leave it out but it really makes great gumbo)

what is gumbo file? That's a new one on me....

[SpringJim]

Originally Posted by james

Amounts? What are amounts?

This is definitely not a cook by weight dish. :-)

James

We used to buy gumbo in a big styrofoam cup when I was in Louisiana, good stuff!

....I recall that this was often a community dish and people would just bring whatever they had to contribute so every one would be different....my kind of cooking

the kitchen sink chef!

[Inishta]

Originally Posted by SpringJim

what is gumbo file? That's a new one on me....

SJim, It's the powdered leaves of the sassafras tree and considered indispensible in Cajun cooking............

[DrakeRemoray]

Hey Cajun, That sounds excellent. I have never made gumbo, but I love to eat it.

I had always heard that you use EITHER okra or file? Not true I guess...

Drake