Gumbo

I have had a few of my friends request this recipe lately, so I thought I'd post it again and share. This picture is from the gumbo I made today, however it's turkey and sausage instead of chicken and sausage. I used the leftover turkey that we fried last night.

Here's the recipe for my usual gumbo:

Melissa’s Chicken and Sausage Gumbo


2 cups flour

2 cups canola oil

2 large onions, chopped

1 bunch celery, chopped (including leaves)

4 green bell peppers, chopped

2 rotisserie chickens, skinned and de-boned

2 lbs link sausage, sliced (spicy or mild, depending on your taste)

2 lbs raw, peeled shrimp, tails off, thawed

1 bottle beer (any kind, I try to use a light beer like Coor's Light or Mich Ultra)

3 32oz containers chicken broth ( i like to use low-sodium)

Tony's to taste

Tabasco or Louisiana Hot Sauce to taste

Fresh ground black pepper to taste

Thyme to taste

3 bay leaves





TIP: do all your chopping of veggies before you get started. You won't be able to do it during the cooking part...



In large pot, brown sausage over med/high heat for about 2-3 minutes, stirring around often. Take out and drain on paper towel. Reduce heat to med/lo and add oil and 1 1/2 cups flour, whisking together until smooth. Save the other 1/2 cup of flour for now. Continue stirring, constantly, until roux is a nice brown color. I like to do this over a medium-low heat so that it doesn't burn, and it helps develop a nicer flavor. This can take about 20-30 minutes, depending on the type of pot you are using. I normally use my Magnalite pot or my black cast iron (as pictured above), and it takes me right at 30 minutes to get it the perfect color. Right when it's getting to the color you want, add in the other 1/2 cup of flour. This helps keep it from becoming too thin. The longer you brown it, the more it breaks down the flour's thickening agent. Once you stir that in and it's smooth (about 3-4 minutes), add in all your chopped vegetables. Continue stirring for 5-10 minutes, making sure to scrape along the bottom of the pot. Slowly add in the broth, one carton at a time, stirring constantly to keep it smooth. I like to add one at a time and let it rest for a minute or two before adding the next one. Next, pour in your bottle of beer. This gives a nice flavor, I always add it to mine, but I know a lot of people don't, so it is optional. Add your Tony's, hot sauce, thyme, black pepper, and bay leaves at this point. I add the Tony's and hot sauce gradually, tasting it every 10-15 minutes during cook time. You can always add more, but you can't take it out. Let this cook over a medium heat for about 30-45 minutes, stirring often and making sure to stir all the way to the bottom of the pot. Add chicken and sausage to the pot, reduce heat to medium low and let cook for an additional 30-45 minutes, stirring often. Next you will add your shrimp, and I always do this in the last 10-15 minutes because it doesn't take them long to cook and you don't want them to get tough. Let it cook a little longer until shrimp are pink.  We like to serve ours with some crusty French bread and a scoop of plain potato salad in the middle of the bowl.  ("Plain" means potatoes, boiled egg, a little of pickle relish, mayo and salt and pepper. The gumbo all ready has all the other stuff in it.)

This recipe makes a ton, I normally half it when I'm just making for our family of 4, but it will freeze nicely, too. Also, you can change the meat choices out, I don't always put shrimp in mine, sometimes I will use crawfish, or no seafood at all. That is part of the art of making gumbo, you can change it up to suit your tastes. Enjoy!!