Monday, January 7, 2013

Gumbo to Savor!




On New Year's Day, we eat gumbo. Every year. It is deeeeeeeelicious. too! I guess you can say its a family recipe, although my mom uses approximations as opposed to measurements. Her recipes are typically orderly approximations, haha.

List of ingredients:
Chicken thighs (last year it was chicken legs)
Shrimp
Andouille sausage (hot link style)
Crab legs (cut up)
1 can of oysters (chopped finely)
1/2 Onion
1 tbsp. Minced garlic
Frozen okra
Old Bay seafood seasoning
Gumbo File seasoning

Directions:
Lightly oil your pot. Season and pan fry your chicken until it gets brown. You're not going to cook the chicken all the way through, just 'flash fry' it. Then put the chicken in the pot and fill the pot with water enough to cover the chicken.
Next, flash fry your sausage and put into the pot of water with the chicken. Before putting your sausage into the pot, make sure you are boiling your chicken on high. Let your chicken (and sausage) boil for a minimum of 30 mins.
Add your roux of (flour and water) to your pot to thicken up your mixture. I put 4-6 tbsp of flour into a separate frying pan and let it brown, then put enough water in to make it like gravy. Stir, stir, stir when adding your water so that the flour doesn't clump up. Unfortunately I didn't take measurement of the flour and water so this will be according to your own eye.
When your roux (gravy) is done, add it to the pot along with Old Bay seasoning and some Gumbo File.
Anyway, once you add the seasoning mixes to your pot, taste, taste, taste! Add more until you're satisfied.
Once your chicken is falling off of the bone (take the bones out of course), that means its time to add your okra [if you choose...next year I'll replace this ingredient with celery] and then your onions, oysters and seafood. Don't forget to taste, taste, taste. Let your gumbo continue to simmer on low while all of the ingredients marry together and voila.
Serve with rice.


Notes:
*Sorry that I don't have specific measurements and cooking times but this is an idea for you to "start" if you don't know how to. I really think the only thing that would need to be measured is the roux (gravy).
*Depending on the amount of meat and seafood you choose to use, you'll add the gumbo seasonings according to your own taste; measurements would give you an idea of how much to use but would probably be changed anyway.
.*After all of the ingredients were added to the pot, I had to add more water for them all to be immersed. More water meant more seasonings.


If you ever try to make this, let me know how it turns out!

2 comments:

  1. This looks amazing!!! I've made gumbo in the past, but I'll have to try this version out!

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  2. Yummmmerz.. This sounds amazing girlie.. I HAVE to try sometime, I am such a gumbo LOVER :)) Soo happy to be back reading your blog.. HAPPPPY NEW YEAR.. xoxox

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