Good Ol Gumbo Food

CAJUN CHICKEN GUMBO

Steps:

• Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a wide casserole or big frying pan and fry the chicken for a few mins to brown. Tip out onto a plate. Add the onion to the pan with 1 tbsp more oil and fry for 5 mins until almost softened. Add the celery and fry for another 2 mins, then tip out to join the chicken. Add the remaining oil, bay leaves and flour to the pan and cook into a paste. Carry on cooking, stirring constantly (with a splash of water if you need), until golden brown, then stir in the spices for 2 mins.
• Gradually stir in the stock until smooth and saucy. Return the chicken and veg to the pan, along with the peppers, cover and simmer gently for 15 mins. Stir in the ham, cover and simmer gently for 10 mins more. Check for seasoning, then serve, sprinkled with the spring onions mixed with the chopped parsley.

SHRIMP GUMBO

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Place the vegetable oil and flour into a 5 to 6-quart cast iron Dutch oven and whisk together to combine. Place on the middle shelf of the oven, uncovered, and bake for 1 1/2 hours, whisking 2 to 3 times throughout the cooking process.
• While the roux is baking, de-head, peel and devein the shrimp. Place the shrimp in a bowl and set in the refrigerator. Place the heads and shells in a 4-quart saucepan along with the 2 quarts of water, set over high heat and bring to a boil. Decrease the heat to low and simmer for 1 hour or until the liquid has reduced to 1-quart. Remove from the heat and strain the liquid into a container, discarding the solids.
• Once the roux is done, carefully remove it from the oven and set over medium-high heat. Gently add the onions, celery, green peppers and garlic and cook, moving constantly for 7 to 8 minutes or until the onions begin to turn translucent. Add the tomatoes, salt, black pepper, thyme, cayenne pepper, and bay leaves and stir to combine. Gradually add the shrimp broth while whisking continually. Decrease the heat to low, cover and cook for 35 minutes. Turn off the heat, add the shrimp and sausage and stir to combine. Add the file powder while stirring constantly. Cover and allow to sit for 10 minutes prior to serving. Serve over rice.

GOOD OL' GUMBO

Steps:

• 1. You'll need a large cooking pot and 1 frying pan (iron skillets always work best for this). 2. Cut up chicken into cubes and start boiling it in the large cooking pot(or whatever meat(s) you choose, just make sure it is cooked by step 13). 3. Dice onions, bell pepper/jalapeno, and celery then set aside (a.k.a. the 'trinity'). 4. Heat the ½ cup cooking oil in pan then add okra and cook for 15-18 minutes (browned a little bit) then set the okra aside. 5. Put the 3 tablespoons of butter in the 2nd large cooking pot, heat it up and start sautéing the onions, bell pepper, and celery (trinity) for 10 minutes. You'll want to burn it a bit to help add flavor to the gumbo. 6. Add the large can of tomatoes along with it's juices and smash up the tomatoes as you stir. 7. Add the 2 cups of chicken stock, 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, ½ tspn. oregano, ½ tspn. Garlic powder, and okra, excluding the okra oil. 8. Cover and cook for 30 minutes. 9. *While that's cooking make your roux:. 10. In frying pan heat 3 tablespoons oil up on med high. 11. Add 3 tablespoons of flour, and brown till you get a dark chocolate color , stirring constantly (this is the stinky part of making gumbo, but necessary). 12. Once brown, add the 1 ½ cup of chicken stock to make a gravy. Stir out all the lumps with whisk and set aside. 13. After the 30 minutes cooking time is up, add the roux and meat(s) to the pot. 14. Add salt and pepper (and Tony Chachere's Seasoning & Louisiana Hot Sauce). 15. Cover again and cook for additional 30 minutes. 16. Serve over rice or eat as a soup.

GOOD OLE' GUMBO

Steps:

• Have all the vegetables chopped and ready before beginning the Gumbo.
• Dice half of the sausage.
• Cut rounds of the remaining sausage.
• In a heavy soup pot, combine flour and oil and optional bacon fat to form the roux.
• Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the color of coffee.
• This will take 20 minutes or more.
• Do not walk away from the stove as the flour will burn and cause you to start again.
• Once the roux is finished, lower heat to medium low, and add all the chopped veggies except the okra.
• Cook stirring constantly until the veggies begin to sweat.
• The roux will absorb the sweat so watch carefully.
• Again, do not walk away.
• Once the veggies begin to sweat, add the tomato paste and stir until distributed.
• Add all the dry spices.
• Slowly add the chicken stock, stirring to avoid lumps.
• Add the chopped sausage and browned chicken.
• Cover and simmer until the chicken is cooked thru.
• Remove the chicken from the pot, and tear into bite sized pieces.
• Reserve.
• Add the okra and cook until tender, about 10 minutes.
• Return chicken to the pot, and add remainder of the sausage.
• Taste for seasoning and add salt or pepper to taste.
• In the last few minutes before you are ready to eat, add the shrimp to the simmering gumbo, and cover.
• Heat for two minutes and then turn off heat.
• Allow to sit for another 5 minutes.
• Serve over rice.