Crazy Good Gumbo
Ready In: 9 hrs 30 mins
Serves: 10-12
Ingredients
- 1⁄3 cup cooking oil (or butter)
- 1⁄3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 1⁄2 cups onions, chopped
- 1 1⁄2 cups green bell peppers
- 1 -2 jalapeno pepper (optional)
- 2 -4 celery ribs
- 1 lb andouille sausage (or smoked sausage if you can't get smoked andoulle)
- 1 lb shrimp, cooked (optional)
- 1 1⁄2 lbs chicken, cooked
- oregano
- basil
- thyme
- 4 garlic cloves
- onion powder
- garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- black pepper
- white pepper
- ground red pepper
- paprika
- 2 -4 cups water
- 1⁄4-1⁄2 teaspoon file powder (use corn starch to thicken if you can't find the file)
Directions
- Make the Roux. In a small sauce pan combine oil and flour and cook on medium stirring constantly until the mixture turns dark brown like melted chocolate. Heat it slowly or it will burn -- don't be tempted to crank up the heat to make it cook faster, this will take 15-20 minutes. If it starts to smoke, you're are on the verge of burning it, so turn the heat down as far as it will go and continue stirring. It turns a grainy looking texture if it burns. When finished let it cool in the pan.
- Chop veg and put in crock or a big pot.
- Cut up sausage into rounds and fry in a pan, then add to crock or pot.
- Tear up chicken, add to crock.
- Add herbs, spices, water, roux, and garlic. I start with about 1/4 tsp of each: oregano, basil, thyme, onion powder, garlic powder, white pepper, black pepper, paprika, and red pepper.
- Simmer the whole thing until you can't keep people out of it without the threat of bodily harm. I usually use the crock and cook it on low for about 8 hours Taste, add more seasonings if needed. I never quite add enough salt, so it always needs more salt. Add more water if necessary.
- Add cooked shrimp, if using. Simmer 20 minutes more.
- Thicken with file or corn starch. If using file, add it just at the very end right before serving. Cooked file gets tough and rubbery, but it adds a desirable flavor. If using corn starch, put 2-3 Tablespoons in a cup, add a bit of water and mix until dissolved then add the mix to the gumbo and stir it inches Use more if necessary.
- Server over cooked rice.
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