Gumbo is a dish that I usually order at restaurants. But like I always say, there’s nothing better than the homemade version because homemade version has the taste of comfort that no other restaurant food can ever compare to.
Our friend over at My Beaching Life has this to say about this recipe:
“Now that we live on the Texas Gulf Coast, Gumbo is all around us. This dish takes a lot of time, but when you take your first bite, see the smiles on your family’s faces and hear their Mmmm’s….you’ll know the time spent making this delightful pot of gumbo was so worth while. Happy Eating!”
Whenever I have time, like for example during a weekend, I don’t really care if I will be slaving the whole day in the kitchen as long as I will get to make a dish that my family will love. Weekdays are too full for me, so most of the time, I was doing small and easy dishes. So if it’s weekend, I try to make the longer and tastier dishes such as this one!
Ingredients
Tyson Whole Chicken
2 T. Knorr Chicken Bouillon
1 Large Onion – Quartered
2 McCormick Bay Leaves
1 Whole Carrot – Chopped in large pieces
1 Jalapeño – keep whole
2-3 Stalks Celery – Chopped in large pieces
McCormick Black Pepper Corns (approx. 2 tsp.)
1 Cup Cookwell Peanut Oil
1 Cup Gold Medal All-Purpose Flour
1 Cup Celery – Chopped
1 1/2 Large Onion – Chopped
1 Large Red Bell Pepper – Chopped
1 1/2 Pounds Johnsonville Spicy Andouille Sausage
1 1/2 Pounds Johnsonville Smoked Sausage
18 Ozs. Green Giant Frozen Okra
Fresh Parsley to taste
Garlic (2 – 3 Cloves Minced)
McCormick Cajun Seasoning to Taste
Instructions
Place the chicken in a large stock pot. Add chicken bouillon add 1 large onion – quartered, 2 bay leaves, carrot, jalapeño, pepper corns & celery. I always add a lot of vegetables when I cook a chicken, because this will result in a rich and tasty chicken broth. Add enough water to throughly cover the chicken – you will use a lot of broth for the gumbo. I am not that fond of packed chicken broth, but feel free to substitute.
Bring the chicken to a rolling boil; cover with a lid, reduce to medium heat and cook for for approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes.
While the chicken is cooking, chop up the celery, onions, bell peppers (this is referred to as the “trinity” and sausages into bite size pieces. Set aside.
When chicken is completely cooked; remove from the broth and let cool for 15-20 minutes. While chicken is cooling off, drain your broth through a strainer into a bowl and discard the cooked veggies that are caught in the strainer. Use the aromatic and tasty broth for your gumbo….the flavor is amazing. Once the chicken is cooled, remove skin, debone & cut into bite size pieces.
After you have finished cooking the chicken and chopping the vegetables and sausages, it will be time to focus on the roux. Roux is truly the the key ingredient to making a great gumbo, so follow these directions carefully.
Heat your peanut oil over medium high heat until it is hot (I use a small iron dutch skillet for my roux as it can pop and this will keep you from getting burned). Add your flour (a little at a time) and use a whisk to make sure there are no clumps. Once all the all of the flour is dissolved into the oil, switch to a wooden spoon to continue stirring the flour mixture. Turn the heat down to medium and continue stirring for 30 – 40 minutes until the roux is a chocolate color (the darker the better). Be very careful not to burn the roux or you will need to start over. Once the roux has reached the chocolate color; add in the trinity – BE VERY CAREFUL as the oil can pop during this time. Continue stirring until everything is mixed and heated really well (not cooked). Transfer the roux and vegetables into a 10 quart stock pot; add the chicken & sausage. Stir together and then start adding the chicken broth until you get a nice consistency (not too thick or too thin). I used approx. 4-5 cups of the chicken broth. Bring to a boil, turn down the heat and simmer for 2 hours. After the 2 hours; add the okra and continue simmering for another hour. I like for my gumbo to simmer for several hours and it definitely is better the next day. Gumbo freezes really well.
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Quick Tip: Serve over cooked rice.
Thanks again to My Beaching Life for this amazing recipe.
