ham hock gumbo

Submitted by crazymom

"a good stick to your ribs meal"

 

• Ready In: 3hrs 30mins
• Ingredients: 16
• Serves: 6

ingredients

• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup flour
• 1 1⁄2 cups chopped onions
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1 cup chopped bell pepper
• 4 cups savoy cabbage, julienned
• 2 lbs smoked ham hocks
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons salt
• 1⁄4 teaspoon cayenne
• 3 bay leaves
• 7 cups chicken stock
• 1 tablespoon spice essence
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
• 1⁄2 cup chopped green onion
• 1 tablespoon file powder
• 2 cups cooked white rice

directions

1. Combine the oil and flour in a large cast-iron or enameled cast-iron Dutch oven, over medium heat.
2. Stirring slowly and constantly for 20 to 25 minutes, make a dark brown roux, the color of chocolate.
3. Add the onions, celery, and bell peppers and continue to stir for 4 to 5 minutes, or until wilted.
4. Add the cabbage and continue to saute for 2 minutes.
5. Add the ham hocks, salt, cayenne, and bay leaves.
6. Continue to stir for 3 to 4 minutes.
7. Add the stock and Essence.
8. Stir until the roux mixture and stock are well combined.
9. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium to low.
10. Cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 2 1/2 hours.
11. Skim off any fat that rises to the surface.
12. Continue to simmer for 30 minutes.
13. Remove from the heat.
14. Stir in the parsley, green onions, and file powder.
15. Remove the bay leaves and ham hocks.
16. Shred the meat from the hocks and place the meat back into the gumbo.
17. Serve in deep bowls with the rice.

Reviews

[Culinary Mischief]

Really great recipe. I cooked the roux a bit longer though (more like 30 minutes) and it kept the gumbo from being *gloopy*. But it tastes like the legitimate gumbo you would get in Louisiana. Oh, and also, I didn't have a lot of the ingredients so I just improvised, or left them out. Like, I didn't use file powder, nor parsley things like that didn't make or break the recipe.