Gumbo #1

March 10th 2014

Gumbo #1

Ingredients:

2 (28oz) diced tomatoes

2 cups chicken stock

2 cups seafood stock

1 red pepper, chopped

1 green pepper, chopped

1 jalepeno, chopped

1 onion, chopped

3 stalks of celery, chopped

2 bay leaves

1/2 TSP cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp Ancho chili powder

1 TSP Smoked Paprika

salt and pepper added throughout

1 TSP spicy Cajun seasoning

1 TBSP creole seasoning (see recipe in earlier blog posts)

1 TSP gumbo file

3 cups white rice, prepared and 1 TBSP butter added to it

1/4 cup each of chopped parsley and cilantro

1lb Andouille sausage, cut up into bite sized pieces

1lb shrimp, tails off and cut into 2 pieces if large shrimp

1 chicken breast, chopped

3 TBSP canola oil

3 TBSP butter

1/2 cup flour



Directions:

1. Chop all the veggies and prepare proteins

2. Heat 2 TBSP oil in a dutch oven. Season sausage with 1/2 tsp creole seasoning and add to pot. Brown the sausage for about 4-5 minutes and then remove and reserve.

3. Season the chicken with the other 1/2 tsp of creole seasoning and then add to pot. Cook for about 5 minutes and reserve with the sausage.

4. Add the remaining oil and 2 TBSP butter to pot. Slowly add in the flour and stir constantly over medium high heat to make a roux. Cook your roux for at least 8-10 minutes to get a nice dark color.

5. Add all of your veggies, bay leaves, and rest of seasoning. Cook, stirring occasionally for 10 minutes to soften the veggies.

6. Begin to add your stock one cup at a time, stirring as you pour it in. Add in one can of tomatoes and juice. Add about 3/4 of the second can of tomatoes and juice. Reserve some to make sure your gumbo isn't too soupy.

7. Add the cilantro and parsley and simmer for at least 1 hour.

8. Add in the gumbo file after simmering for 1 hour and cook for 5 minutes.

9. Add your shrimp, sausage, and chicken to the pot and warm to serve  - about 5 minutes.

10. When you add your protein, cook your instant rice. After it is done, just fork your rice adding 1 TBSP butter. (Note: If you cook your rice in stock and season the stock, your rice will even add flavor to the dish)

11. Serve your gumbo with a big pile of rice and enjoy!




Today's dish is a true New Orleans favorite. You can make gumbo with almost anything. That is why I named this the #1 version. Enjoy this gumbo with shrimp, sausage and chicken. Remember, the longer you cook your roux, and the tighter it is, the darker the color your gumbo will be. The darkness is usually an indication of great flavor! Only 10 weeks until we are in New Orleans so I can try some more gumbo and get new ideas! I enjoyed tonight's dinner with a light lager beer. The beer helped me cope with the spiciness. This gumbo is not too hot but after eating a huge bowl, it gets to you a little bit. You can always make it spicier or tame it down by adjusting the seasonings. The ancho and cayenne are the ones that will help you control the heat the best.
















Until tomorrow,

Julianne