Traditional Chicken Gumbo With Okra Food

CHICKEN AND OKRA GUMBO

Steps:

• Place chicken and water in a large kettle. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 30-45 minutes or until chicken is tender. , Remove chicken; reserve broth. Set chicken aside until cool enough to handle. Remove chicken from bones; discard bones and cut into meat into cubes; set aside. , In a soup kettle, combine oil or drippings and flour until smooth. Cook over medium-high heat for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to medium. Cook and stir about 5 minutes more or until mixture is reddish-brown (the color of a penny). Turn the heat to high. Stir in 2 cups reserved broth. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. , Add the onions, celery, green pepper and garlic; cook and stir for 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, okra, bay leaves, basil, salt, pepper and pepper sauce. Cover and simmer for 1 hour. Add chicken; heat through., Discard bay leaves. Garnish with green onions and parsley. Serve with rice.

OKRA GUMBO WITH CHICKEN & ANDOUILLE SAUSAGE

Steps:

• Mix your onion, celery, and bell pepper together: The Holy Trinity.
• Heat the oil in a cast iron dutch oven over medium heat, whisk in the flour to make a milk chocolate colored Roux.
• Add the Andouille, 1 Tbsp of Seasoning, and 3/4 of the Holy Trinity, cook, stirring often, for about ten minutes or until the vegetables soften, add the cold stock, remaining seasoning, okra, remaining trinity, and Garlic.
• Bring to a boil then bring this down to a simmer, add the thigh meat and let it go for at least 2 hours, stirring occasionally. About 10-15 minutes before you're ready to serve add the Worcestershire, hot sauce, and 1/2 of the Green Onions.
• Serve with Creole Boiled Rice, crusty French bread.
• Garnish with green onions, and the parsley.

CHICKEN OKRA SAUSAGE GUMBO

Steps:

• Place the salt, black pepper, Cajun seasoning, and garlic powder, with the flour in a 1 gallon zip type bag.
• Wash the chicken parts and dry well. Sprinkle with more Cajun seasoning and allow to sit for 30 minutes at room temperature.
• (If you do not have bacon fat handy, use this time to render the fat from 1/2 pound of bacon.).
• In a large stock pot, about 12 quart, heat the olive oil and bacon fat.
• Put the chicken into the bag with the seasoned flour and shake to coat. Drop the chicken into the pan and brown it until the outside is golden. Do it in two batches if necessary. Reserve the flour mixture remaining in the bag.
• Remove the chicken and add the flour mixture from the bag to the oil. On low heat, stir the roux thoroughly. Allow it to simmer for 30-45 minutes, stirring thoroughly every 5-6 minutes or less. Do not allow it scorch. It's better to keep the heat lower, stir more often and take the maximum amount of time then to risk scorching the roux which will make it bitter. The end result should be a smooth paste the color of mahogany, several shades darker than peanut butter.
• While that is browning, chop the bell peppers, onions and celery. Mince the garlic. Slice each link of sausage in half lengthwise, then lay flat on the board and slice into 3/8" slices.
• When the roux has become smooth and rich, add the peppers, onions, garlic,celery and sausage. Stir until the vegetables are wilted and the onions are translucent. Ad the bay leaf.
• Add one can of tomatoes and their liquid and stir well. Continue adding the second can of tomatoes, the stock and water slowly, stirring well between each addition to prevent lumps. Bring to a boil. Return the chicken to the pot and allow to simmer until the chicken is falling off the bone, about 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Remove the chicken and set aside to cool so the meat can be removed from the bones. Add the sliced okra, the thyme and the rice. Allow to cook on low heat for 40 minutes or until the rice is done.
• Adjust the seasonings with salt, pepper and cayenne.

CHICKEN AND OKRA GUMBO

Steps:

• In a large Dutch oven saute okra in 2 tbsp vegetable oil. over medium heat, until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Add onions and celery and cook until wilted.
• Add 4 cups of water and simmer for 15 minutes.
• In a large frying pan, heating remaining 3 tbsp of vegetable oil over medium low heat, and add chicken to saute, until it turns brown, about 5 minutes on each side.
• Tranfer the cooked chicken to the okra mixture. Meanwhile, stir flour in pan and cook, stirring until nut brown roux begins to develop, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and stir into mixture water from the okra mixture. Stir this mixture back into the Dutch oven.
• Bring the entire dutch oven to boil and add salt, black pepper, and cayenne, and then bring to a simmer. Cook for 50 minutes.
• Just before serving, add scallions and parsley for garnish and serve over rice, with French Bread.

CHICKEN AND OKRA GUMBO

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large heavy pan and add the flour.
• Cook over a low heat, stirring, to make a dark brown roux (the color of hazelnut shells).
• Add the onion, garlic, green pepper and celery and cook until lightly browned, stirring occasionally.
• Add the okra, parsley, bay leaf, thyme, salt, peppers, and cayenne and tabasco to taste, then stir in the tomatoes, tomato puree, and half the stock or water.
• Bring to a boil, stirring well.
• Simmer for 1-1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.
• During this time, the okra, which is initially slimy, will turn the mixture very dark and glutinous.
• Meanwhile, remove the chicken meat from the carcass.
• Discard all skin and cut the meat into bite-sized pieces.
• Add the chicken meat and corn to the gumbo with the remaining stock or water and simmer for 30 minutes longer, stirring from time to time.

CHICKEN, SHRIMP AND OKRA GUMBO

Steps:

• Place the shrimp in a bowl and generously season with Cajun seasoning; place the shrimp in refrigerator until ready to use.
• In a large pot, warm the oil and then saute the okra for 15 to 20 minutes; add the diced chicken and cook an additional 10 to 15 minutes.
• Add chopped tomato, yellow onion, celery, bell pepper, Ro-Tel tomatoes, garlic, tomato paste, green onions, bay leaf and white vinegar; simmer the mixture for 20 minutes, add 1 quart of the chicken stock, and clam juice.
• Season with salt and pepper to taste, add cayenne pepper, paprika, Tabasco, Worcestershire sauce and mustard; cook uncovered for 30 minutes adding additional stock if needed for desired consistency.
• Add shrimp and cook until no longer pink, stir in fresh parsley and Kitchen Bouquet; adjust salt and pepper to taste.
• Ladle the gumbo into bowls and place a scoop of cooked rice in the middle, garnish with green onion tops and enjoy with fresh baked French Bread.

TRADITIONAL CHICKEN GUMBO WITH OKRA

Steps:

• Prior to heating pot, chop all vegetables.
• To make the roux: Heat a large heavy bottomed stock pot over a medium high flame.
• Once hot, add the oil. Stir in the flour, reduce heat to medium. Cook, stirring constantly until the color of the flour/oil mixture is somewhere between the color of coffee with cream and black coffee. Do not allow this to scorch or burn- if this happens start process over.
• Once the roux is cooked to a deep color, add the onions, garlic, celery, peppers, salt and pepper. Allow to cook, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes.
• Pour in the chicken broth and 6 cups of the water, stir. If desired, us all broth for the liquid and no water.
• Stir in the Creole Seasoning. NOTE- the homemade Creole Seasoning has no salt. If you use a purchased product, such as Tony Chachere's, there is salt in most products. Please observe and adjust seasoning to accomodate these differences.
• Allow to cook over medium heat for about 20 minutes. Taste broth and add additional salt as desired. If gumbo appears too thick at any point in the cooking, add more water.
• Add the chicken thighs to the pot. The thighs may be boneless/skinless, or remove the skin from whole thighs. Thigh meat will remain moist.
• Allow the chicken to cook for about 45 minutes. Remove chicken pieces from stock. Place on plate to allow to cool.
• Once you have removed the chicken, add the sliced okra. Allow to cook in the broth for about 30 minutes.
• After the chicken has cooled for about 30 minutes, remove meat from the bones, and dice the cooked meat. Add to the pot.
• Taste and adjust seasonings to taste. To add heat, you may use cayenne pepper. If you wish to season with salt and heat, Tony Chachere's Original Creole Seasoning is a commonly used spice blend.
• Serve over cooked white rice- Uncle Ben's is most authentic.
• Recipe Notes: When storing leftovers, do not stir the rice into the gumbo. Keep rice and gumbo separate until ready to serve. If you add seafood to this gumbo, put it in at the very end of the cooking process- it only takes a few minutes for shrimp, crab, or oysters to cook. If you choose to add aliced andouille sausage or a couple hot links, put it in at the same time you add the okra.