Potato Gumbo

Submitted by David J Rust

"This was a quick gumbo I threw together for guests on New Year's Eve. I made it in a crock pot so I could prep it and forget about it. It turned out surprisingly good and I'm pleased that I was able to feed six hungry people as we hung out, watched "Doctor Who", and run in the new year! This, by the way, is a filé gumbo as opposed to an okra gumbo. While I like okra, some of my guests did not. NOTE: Adding garlic, roasted garlic, crayfish, shrimp, more-or-less cayenne, or even some thickener can all be done to make this dish your own. Basically, though, this is a potato-and-sausage dish as it is written here. Feel free to customize to your heart's content!"

 

• Ready In: 3hrs 10mins
• Ingredients: 11
• Yields: 1 soup
• Serves: 8

ingredients

• 1⁄4 cup olive oil
• 1⁄2 cup celery (chopped)
• 1⁄2 cup green bell pepper (chopped)
• 1 cup sweet onion (chopped)
• 1⁄2 tablespoon cayenne
• 1 tablespoon file powder
• 3 andouille sausages (chopped)
• 1 tablespoon molasses
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 5 medium russet potatoes (halved or quartered)
• salt and pepper

directions

1. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add half of the oil. When it is shimmering and hot, add the celery, green bell pepper, and onion. Season with salt and pepper. Saute until the onion has become just barely translucent.
2. Add the cayenne and filé powder, stirring to coat the vegetables. Continue to cook until they just start to brown on the edges.
3. Remove the cooked vegetables to a crock pot set on "high".
4. Returning to the large skillet, add the remaining half of the oil and the andouille sausage. Saute in the hot oil until the sausage pieces start to brown on the sides. Add the molasses and stir to coat the sausage in it, watching so that the molasses does not burn.
5. Add the chicken broth to the skillet to de-glaze and get up all the darkened, stuck bits. Remove the molasses-crusted andouille and chicken broth and add it to the vegetables in the crock pot.
6. Add the potato pieces (I prefer to keep the skins on) to the crock pot and cover it.
7. Depending on the power of your crock pot, cook for 3-5 hours or just until the potatoes are tender.
8. Taste the gumbo and season with salt and pepper to taste.
9. Serve.