Melange Gumbo Food

SMOKED TURKEY-AND-ANDOUILLE GUMBO RECIPE

Steps:

• Debone smoked turkey, trying not to shred meat. Cut turkey meat into manageable bite-size pieces, about 1 inch in size. Refrigerate turkey meat for later use in recipe. Place turkey carcass in a large (14-quart) stockpot.
• Remove and reserve ends from celery. Remove and reserve ends and skins from all onions. Quarter medium-size onion. Quarter all bell peppers, and remove and reserve membranes; discard seeds. Add celery ends, pepper membranes, and onion ends and skins to pot, along with quartered onion, 4 whole celery stalks, and quarters from 1 pepper. Store remaining vegetables, covered, in refrigerator for later use.
• Cover with water, and bring to a roaring boil over high; reduce heat to medium, and bring mixture to a simmer. Cook, at a steady simmer, until reduced to 8 quarts of stock, which will take up to 8 hours. Remove turkey carcass and vegetable pieces, and discard. Pour stock through a wire-mesh strainer over a large bowl to remove remaining solids; return strained stock to stockpot.
• Stir together flour and oil in a medium-size cast-iron pan with a slotted, flat spatula. Stir until mixture is thoroughly combined and lumps or bits of flour are no longer visible. Cook mixture over medium, stirring constantly, until it is dark brown in color (think of an aged penny), between 35 minutes and 1 hour and 15 minutes. (This process depends on the heat, which varies from stove-top to stove-top, and the aggressiveness of the cook. Patience is very important.) If the roux burns, throw it away and start over. A burned roux cannot be used. The spatula should constantly rub or scrape the bottom of the pot to prevent mixture from sticking and burning. If the roux begins to clump, whisk out the clump with an aluminum whisk. Once roux has reached desired color, remove pan from heat; continue stirring until slightly cooled, about 10 minutes. (The roux will continue to cook as it cools.)
• Bring stock to a light boil, and carefully stir in cooled roux. Stir until roux has completely dissolved into stock, giving stock a dark brown color. (At this stage, mixture will be very bitter and taste flat.)
• Lightly boil mixture, stirring constantly, 45 minutes. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, 25 minutes longer.
• Add andouille sausage, in batches, to stock mixture. (Adding in batches prevents mixture from cooling down too much.) Cook, stirring occasionally, 45 minutes.
• Meanwhile, dice remaining refrigerated celery (6 stalks, about 1 1⁄2 cups), peppers (2 peppers, about 1 cup), and onions (2 small onions, about 2 cups). Keep diced vegetables separated.
• Stir the minced garlic into the stock; stir in the "trinity" (diced celery, peppers, and onions), 1 vegetable at a time, adding onions last. Be careful not to cool down the gumbo. It is wise to add 1 vegetable and then wait 5 minutes, allowing the gumbo to heat back up before adding the next vegetable. Note the change in terminology: It's now a gumbo that is still in its infancy. Cook, stirring occasionally, 30 minutes.
• Add turkey pieces slowly so the gumbo does not cool down. Lightly boil, stirring occasionally, 30 minutes. Stir gently to avoid breaking up the turkey pieces.
• Add seasonings and hot sauce. If your taste buds are sensitive to seasonings, add only half of each seasoning (except the garlic powder) and hot sauce.
• With a small aluminum ladle, begin to remove grease from top of gumbo. If additional grease rises to the surface, remove before serving. (Removing the grease is a key step.) Taste the gumbo. If it still seems flat, cook it longer for a greater depth of flavor. The amount of heat under the gumbo and the number of times it is stirred either shortens or lengthens the process.
• Once you have settled on the taste and the gumbo is ready for serving, add scallions and parsley. Serve over rice, making sure you do not see the rice in your bowl and removing bay leaves (if using). It's not meant to be like a stew or rice and gravy. It should be served like a soup with rice at the bottom of the bowl.

CHICKEN GUMBO WITH ANDOUILLE SAUSAGE

Steps:

• Brown the sausages: Brown the sausages in the fat, remove and set aside.
• Heat the chicken stock: While you are stirring and cooking the roux, bring the chicken stock and water to a boil in a separate pot.
• Add the sausage, okra, and chicken meat: While the chicken is cooling, cut the andouille sausage into thick discs and drop them into the gumbo. Add the okra. Pick the chicken meat from the bones and chop it roughly. Add it back into the gumbo. At this point, you can cook the gumbo for another hour or up to several more hours, depending on how cooked down you want the final stew to be.

GOOD NEW ORLEANS CREOLE GUMBO

Steps:

• Make a roux by whisking the flour and 3/4 cup bacon drippings together in a large, heavy saucepan over medium-low heat to form a smooth mixture. Cook the roux, whisking constantly, until it turns a rich mahogany brown color. This can take 20 to 30 minutes; watch heat carefully and whisk constantly or roux will burn. Remove from heat; continue whisking until mixture stops cooking.
• Place the celery, onion, green bell pepper, and garlic into the work bowl of a food processor, and pulse until the vegetables are very finely chopped. Stir the vegetables into the roux, and mix in the sausage. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium-low heat, and cook until vegetables are tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat, and set aside.
• Bring the water and beef bouillon cubes to a boil in a large Dutch oven or soup pot. Stir until the bouillon cubes dissolve, and whisk the roux mixture into the boiling water. Reduce heat to a simmer, and mix in the sugar, salt, hot pepper sauce, Cajun seasoning, bay leaves, thyme, stewed tomatoes, and tomato sauce. Simmer the soup over low heat for 1 hour; mix in 2 teaspoons of file gumbo powder at the 45-minute mark.
• Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons of bacon drippings in a skillet, and cook the okra with vinegar over medium heat for 15 minutes; remove okra with slotted spoon, and stir into the simmering gumbo. Mix in crabmeat, shrimp, and Worcestershire sauce, and simmer until flavors have blended, 45 more minutes. Just before serving, stir in 2 more teaspoons of file gumbo powder.

VALERIE'S VERY BEST GUMBO

Steps:

• Warm 1 cup oil over medium heat in a large Dutch oven until hot. Add the flour to the pot all at once, whisking until the consistency is uniform. Cook the roux, whisking occasionally, until it is the color of a tarnished penny, about 20 minutes. Do not let it darken any further. Carefully add the celery, bell peppers, onion, chopped scallions and garlic to the pot, working away from you as the hot roux may spatter. Stir with a wooden spoon until the onions begin to soften, about 5 minutes.
• Add enough stock to just cover the vegetables, about 1 quart, and stir to combine. The roux may separate. Add the tomatoes with their juices, andouille and smoked sausages, cayenne, bay leaves, 1 1/2 tablespoons salt, 1 tablespoon black pepper and the remaining stock, about 1 more quart. Partially cover and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a medium skillet over high heat. Add the okra and cook, stirring, until the gel dries out slightly, about 3 minutes. Add to the Dutch oven.
• Taste the gumbo for seasoning and adjust as desired. Add the chicken, cook until warmed through and serve, or simmer up to 2 hours more to concentrate the flavors, adding the chicken 20 minutes before serving.
• Sprinkle with the reserved sliced scallions and serve over rice. Serve with hot sauce and file powder if using.