The Tombs Gumbo Food

MELANGE GUMBO

Steps:

• Make the roux: Heat 2 cups vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until hot, about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium, then whisk in the flour in 2 additions until the mixture is the consistency of cake batter. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until the roux is dark brown, about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat, then stir in half each of the onion and bell peppers. Set aside until ready to use.
• Combine the whole chicken, 10 cups water, the red pepper flakes, 1 tablespoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper in a large pot. Bring to a boil and cook 1 hour. Strain the broth, then return to the pot and set aside. Remove the chicken skin and bones, then cut the meat into bite-size pieces.
• Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken sausage and cook, turning, until cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes. Let cool slightly, then slice.
• Add 16 cups water to the pot with the broth and bring to a boil. Add the roux; cook over medium-high heat, stirring, until it dissolves, about 5 minutes. Stir in the remaining onion and bell peppers. Return to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium, cover and cook, 1 hour. Add the andouille sausage and raw chicken breasts, reduce the heat to medium low and cook, covered, 30 more minutes. Add the smoked turkey, sliced chicken sausage, cooked chicken pieces and scallions and simmer, covered, 30 minutes. Skim the fat off the surface, then stir in the Cajun seasoning. Serve over rice.

THE TOMBS GUMBO

Steps:

• In a large skillet, combine oil and flour to make the roux. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until dark brown, about 30 minutes.
• Add celery, onion, peppers, and garlic and cook for 10 more minutes. Transfer to a thick bottom pot and add chicken broth, beef broth, tomatoes, okra, hot sauce, bay leaves, black and white pepper, cayenne pepper, chicken thighs, and andouille sausage. Simmer for 15 minutes. Add the shrimp and cook for 5 more minutes. Serve over rice.

SPICY ROOSTER GUMBO

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
• Place chicken stock in a 2-gallon stockpot. Place on back burner, bring to boil, and reduce to a simmer.
• Mix together salt, cayenne, black pepper, cumin, paprika, and coriander and set aside.
• Cut the rooster or chicken into 8 pieces, removing the backbone and discarding. Place the ham hocks in the stock to simmer.
• Season the flour with salt and pepper and place in a shallow dish. Generously coat the chicken parts with some of the spice mix. Set aside the remaining spice mixture. Dust the seasoned chicken parts in the seasoned flour and set aside the remaining flour.
• In a cast-iron skillet heat the chicken fat almost to smoking. Fry the chicken parts over high heat to crisp the outside, but not cook the inside of the chicken. Remove the chicken from the oil and drain on paper towels and add to stock. Keep the remaining chicken fat in the pan.
• Toss andouille with a few drops of oil and place in a baking dish. Roast until fat is rendered and the surface of the andouille is caramelized, about 15 minutes. Remove and put the andouille aside.
• Heat the reserved chicken fat almost to smoking. Very carefully whisk in the remaining flour. Lower the heat to medium. Whisk the flour into the roux and continue to whisk in a circular motion around the cast-iron pan. The flour will move through a range of colors from hazelnut to brick red and on to dark brown. Place 1/2 of the onions and all of the green bell peppers, garlic, and bay leaves in a large, heatproof bowl or container.
• When the roux has reached a deep, red brown color, carefully pour the hot roux over the onion/pepper mixture and stir to combine.
• Add the roux mixture to the stock, a few spoons at a time, leaving 5 minutes between each addition, until it is all added. Add half of the remaining seasoning mix. Allow to simmer for 30 minutes or until rooster is cooked and tender.
• Strain into a large pot. Saute remaining onions and red peppers until softened and add to strained liquid. Remove meat from cooked chicken. Discard chicken bones. Add chicken pieces and andouille rounds. Place gumbo in serving bowls and finish with a spoonful of rice and sliced scallions.

BBQ GUMBO

Steps:

• For the roux: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Mix flour and oil well in a wide, flat-bottomed oven-safe pot such as a cast-iron skillet. Bake, stirring every 15 to 20 minutes, until it reaches a dark brown color and has a strong nutty smell, up to 2 hours. Pour off and reserve excess oil that is left on top of the finished roux.
• For the broth: Meanwhile, using a large stockpot, heat the stock to a low boil and place in smoked rib bones and chicken bones. Simmer on low for about 2 hours to enrich broth with smoke flavor and collagen from the bones.
• In a large stockpot over medium-high heat, add 1/2 cup of the leftover oil from the roux and heat until it is shimmering.
• Add the celery, green peppers and onions, and sweat them until tender, fragrant and translucent. Add the garlic and continue to cook briefly until fragrant. Add the roux and stir to combine with the vegetables until it forms a well-amalgamated paste. Add about three-quarters of the broth. Bring to a low boil, then add the Cajun seasoning, rib meat, chicken meat and pork sausage. Simmer on low heat for 45 minutes.

GUMBO

Steps:

• For the roasted okra: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Toss the okra with some olive oil, then spread in a baking sheet. Bake until cooked through, about 15 minutes.
• For the blackening spice: Stir together the paprika, salt, pepper, cayenne, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano and thyme in a jar.
• For the gumbo: Saute sausage, garlic, celery, onion and peppers in 1/2 cup olive oil in a saucepot until veggies are soft.
• Mix flour with canola oil and remaining 1/2 cup olive oil in a saute pan over medium heat and cook until dark brown, then add to veggie pot. Add 1/4 cup blackening spice (save the remainder for another use). Add stock, chicken, pork, tomatoes, file, oregano, thyme and bay leaf, then add salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil and let simmer for 45 minutes.
• Mix the okra in with the rest of the gumbo. Serve with rice or cornbread.