A Panoply of Gumbo Recipies

Gumbo coming out of our ears!

Here are the results of a request for Gumbo recipes for my sweet Valentines Day Born niece Madeline.

Enjoy!


Cousin Randolph LeBlanc’s Gumbo

1 Large Yellow Onion
2 Stalks Celery
3 Cloves Garlic, chopped
1 Large Bell Pepper
3 C (0r cans) Chicken Broth
1 Whole Chicken, cut up.
1 Lb smoked sausage (cut into bite sized pieces)
1 Can diced tomatoes
1 Bag Frozen Sliced Okra

Chop one large yellow onion, two stalks of celery, three cloves of garlic, and one large bell pepper.

Put all except the garlic in a large Dutch oven or stock pot with just enough oil to brown the vegetables.

Cook over medium-high heat until the vegetables are softened and caramelized.

Add about three quarters of a cup of dry roux. (see below)

(I like my gumbo little bit thicker than the traditional Franklin gumbo. You can add more or less roux to taste.)

Stir the roux with the vegetables until it's completely moistened.

Immediately added three cans of chicken broth. (Have them ready ahead or you'll burn the roux. I like Swanson's fat-free chicken broth. You can use just water, but the chicken broth makes a richer gumbo.)

Add one whole chicken, cut up into pieces with the skin removed.

Add 1 pound of smoked sausage, cut into bite size pieces.

Add the chopped garlic.

Add one can of diced tomatoes with the liquid. (This definitely strays from the traditional Franklin recipe, but I find it also makes a richer gumbo.)

Add one bag of frozen sliced okra.

Add salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, two bay leaves, and if you have it about a half teaspoon of file'.

Add enough water to fill the pot.

Bring to a boil, and let simmer until the chicken starts to fall off the bone.

Like AR, at this point I remove all the chicken, let it cool, pull the meat off the bone and put it back in the gumbo.

Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Serve with a scoop of rice. If you have file' sprinkle some on top the gumbo in the bowl.

DRY ROUX

Take a baking pan and fill it about halfway with flour. I put it in the oven at 400°. Stir in the flour about every 10 or so minutes. Be careful, just like regular roux, this stuff can burn you.

You definitely have to put your vent on, or the kitchen will be very smoky. After about a half an hour to 45 minutes, the flour will reach equilibrium and won't get any darker.

At this point, turn the oven to 450° and stir about every one or two minutes. When the flour is about the color of milk chocolate it's done.

You'll find lots of little lumps from the moisture in the flour. After the roux has cooled, you can run it through a sifter and throw away all the lumps. You can store this in a jar or a Ziploc bag for six to 12 months. I always make as much as possible, so I don't have to make it again very often.



Noey’s Gumbo

2 lbs Chicken
2/3 cup flour
¾ cup canola (or similar) oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
1 gallon of water


First of all, the ROUX:
A heavy pot is a must to make a pretty roux. The heavier the pot, the easier your job will be. Before you start your roux, start heating water in a kettle, the amount depending on whether you are making a gumbo or a stew. You must always add hot water to a roux. It is very important not to change the temperature of the roux by adding cold water to it. It could curdle the roux, or separate the flour and water from the oil. The measurements given below make a roux large enough for a gumbo with about 2 pounds of chicken.

Before you make your roux, brown all your pieces of chicken (it could be drumsticks, thighs, breasts -- whatever you would like) in your heavy pot, using a little oil in the bottom of the pot. Brown the chicken pieces well, then remove them all from the pot.

Now you make your roux.
Mix about 2/3 c. flour and 3/4 cup oil (like Canola oil) in your heavy iron pot. Turn the fire on medium to low, stirring constantly. Stir all over the bottom of the pot to be sure that no particles stick to the bottom. As you stir, the roux browns slowly. Don't cook your roux fast, because as it reaches the done point, it will be too hot and burn. When your roux is a rich dark brown, cut off your fire immediately, while continuing to stir. Add hot water to lower the temperature slightly so the roux will stop browning. You could also add a cup of chopped onions to lower the temperature. Either way, you continue to stir until the temperature is lowered sufficiently. Then you may turn your fire on again under the pot and add the rest of the ingredients.

CHICKEN GUMBO:
Add these ingredients into your roux:
A cup or so of chopped onions, if you haven't already put them in the roux
A cup or so of chopped celery
About 2 lb. chicken thighs, drumsticks, breasts that you have already browned
About 1 gallon of water

Let cook slowly until chicken is done. Season with Tony Chachere Creole seasoning. Add 2 teaspoons chopped parsley and 2 teaspoons chopped onion tops

Serve over rice.

Gumbo is better after it is left in the refrigerator for about a day.

My Godmother’s Gumbo

½ cup flour
½ cup oil
1 Chopped Onion
1 Chopped Green Pepper
2-3 cups water
Salt
Pepper
Red (cayenne) Pepper
1 ½ links of good sausage
1 chicken, cut up



Chicken & Sausage Gumbo
First you make a roux.

Do you know how? In a large heavy pot (black iron or Magnalite) put equal amounts of oil and flour - 1/2 cup each.

On a medium heat brown the flour in the oil (stirring constantly) until it's a dark brown color, darker than caramel. The darker the better but when it starts getting really dark, it's easy to burn it.

Have an onion and a green pepper chopped and ready to place in the roux when it gets to the dark stage. T

urn the heat down and let the onion and pepper cook for a minute or so.

Add 2 -3 cups of water, salt, black pepper, and a little red (Cayenne) pepper and let this cook for a while.

In another pot, or in the oven, brown your cut up chicken. 1 chicken should be enough.

After the roux has been cooking for an hour or so, add the browned chicken and sliced sausage.

We use a local brand sausage, but you can use Hormel or any brand like that of smoked sausage.

For a pot of gumbo, I use about a link or a link and a half. They usually come 3 links in a package.

Let the gumbo cook until the chicken is starting to fall off the bones.

I like to debone it at this stage but you don't have to.

People like their gumbo at different consistencies. We like ours more soupy than thick --- thick is a stew, thin is a gumbo -- so you may have to add more water as it's cooking.

Chop some onion tops and place in gumbo about 15 minutes before serving.

Seasoning is important so taste and make sure you have enough salt & pepper.

Serve gumbo in a bowl with a scoop of rice.

Oh, don't forget to have your rice cooked before the gumbo is ready.

If you have filé available, sprinkle a little filé on gumbo after it's served. Enjoy.



Cousin Claire’s Gumbo

½ pot water
½ lb sausage
Roux (1/4 of a jar)
1 chopped onion
2 celery stalks
½ chopped bell pepper
Chopped green onion
Chopped garlic (2-3 toes.)
2 T chicken base
1 whole chicken (or breasts and legs)

Gumbo at my house is fast. A little more than an hour, start to finish.

Fill a soup pot half full of water, turn the heat to medium high.

Add some sliced sausage, half a pound or more Roux from a jar is the best way to go. Maybe 1/4 of the jar.
(Stir or the roux will just sink to the bottom and stick)

1 chopped onion
2 celery stalks
1/2 chopped bell pepper
chopped green onions
chopped garlic, 2 or 3 toes, or the kind from a jar Let it boil for about 10 minutes.

2 TBL chicken flavor base (the kind in a jar, it's by the soup) Chicken on the bone (breasts and legs, or a whole one cut) (Season the chicken lightly with salt and pepper)

When the chicken floats, it's done.
It's easier to add more salt and pepper than to have too much. The sausage is salty and will flavor the broth.

Steamed rice is good, but not necessary. Baked sweet potatoes are a wonderful side dish. Ginger bread is another good side dish. So is a mayo-potato salad.


Cousin Ellen’s Gumbo.



are u able to buy roux already pre-made, like Savoy's or Richard's? It will be in your local grocery store with the seasonings or with the condiments.
Follow the directions by melting the roux in water, then adding onion mix ( I use the pre-diced onion mix) and I add chicken breasts and your choice of sausage. The longer you cook the better, and season well with salt and Tony's Chachere. Usually gumbo tastes better when it is cooked several days before serving. After cooking store in Tupperware containers in the frig and then heat up several days later, yummy. Good luck, oh several with rice!