Gumbo

My daughter-in-law taught one of my boys to make his version of her wonderful gumbo. Then, my son moved away. I have tried to do my best imitation of her real Cajun Gumbo.

Gumbo

5 chicken thighs

1 lb. smoked sausage

1/2 to 1 lb. small cleaned, peeled shrimp

1 to 2 cups breaded okra, fried (My own touch!)

1 small onion, chopped

2 ribs celery, cleaned and chopped

1/2 teaspoon sage

1/2 teaspoon tumeric

2 tablespoons chicken "Better than Bullion" soup base

1+ teaspoon Tony Chachere Creole Seasoning

1/2 cup flour

1/4 + olive oil

sea salt to taste

Hot cooked rice

In a large pot, place the chicken thighs on to boil, fairly early in the day. (Or the day before serving.) Use about 2 quarts of water to start. Add the better than bullion chicken soup base, the tumeric, creole seasoning, and the sage. Cover.

Boil for an hour or more.

Saute the onion and celery in a small amount of oilve oil.

Add to the broth.

Turn off heat.

Remove chicken from broth.

Remove the skins from the thighs. Discard skin.

When the thighs are cool enough to handle, remove the meat from the bones. Discard bones.

Refrigerate meat.

Allow the broth to cool. I usually do this at room temperature for an hour or so, then in the refrigerator several more hours.

Skim as much fat from the broth as possible.

Once the fat is skimmed from the broth, return the chicken to the broth.

Reheat over low flame.

Add hot water as necessary to equal about 10 cups liquid.

Fry and drain your okra.

Add to the broth.

Prepare rice.

Slice the smoked sausage into fairly thin slices, 1/4" or so.

Saute until the sausage begins to brown.

Remove sausage from the frying pan with a slotted spoon .

Add the sausage to the broth.

Add the flour and 1/4 cup (more or less) olive oil to the frying pan.(You dont have to drain the sausage fat).

Add 1 teaspoon salt.

Make into a roux. Cook until very brown. (add more oil if necessary

Once the roux is dark brown and smooth, pour into the boiling broth.

Stir the roux into the broth.

Bring to a boil.

Allow to cook and thicken.

Five minutes before serving, add the cleaned, deveined shrimp to the boiling gumbo. Prepared crawfish may be added here, if desired.

Serve over rice.

Refrigerate leftovers.

Even better the next day!