Mumbo Yumbo Gumbo
As a native of Mobile, AL, I have eaten quite a good bit of gumbo in my time. I remember summers on Mobile bay weren’t complete without eating Gumbo. We’d spend the day catching shrimp with the net and then pull up the crab traps to see what we got. The then kids would all sit and peel shrimp after they’d been cooked and while the roux was being made. The blue crabs we caught went into the gumbo whole. My brother used to always trick me into thinking that the okra seeds in the gumbo were actually crab eyes, but I wouldn’t be surprised if sometimes that was true.
No two gumbos are the same, gumbo is traditionally a dish created from whatever one has on hand. But there are two different types of gumbo – Cajun and Creole. The line between these two deep southern cultures is blurred, but their gumbos differ enough to make a difference. The Cajun base for gumbo (Roux) is typically made with butter and flour, while a creole roux is made with oil and flour or tomato. Cajun recipes for gumbo include seafood more often, while Creole recipes lean towards more game meats. There is also a Cajun holy kitchen trinity – Green pepper, Onion, and Celery.
No two gumbos are the same, gumbo is traditionally a dish created from whatever one has on hand. But there are two different types of gumbo – Cajun and Creole. The line between these two deep southern cultures is blurred, but their gumbos differ enough to make a difference. The Cajun base for gumbo (Roux) is typically made with butter and flour, while a creole roux is made with oil and flour or tomato. Cajun recipes for gumbo include seafood more often, while Creole recipes lean towards more game meats. There is also a Cajun holy kitchen trinity – Green pepper, Onion, and Celery.
My boyfriend is from Louisiana, and has a similar cultural history to mine, but more creole influences than I. We put together our knowledge of Gumbo to create this tasty Gumbo.
1lb Andoullie sausage 2 quarts cold Water
3lbs Chicken Breasts 1 tbsp. Salt
½ cup Flour 1 tsp. Black Pepper
½ cup Butter 1 tsp Tony Chachere’s Cajun Spice Mix
½ cup Green Pepper (finely chopped) 1 tsp Thyme
2 cups Onion (finely chopped) 3 Bay Leaves (Crushed)
1 tbsp. Garlic (finely minced) 1 ½ tbsp. Filé Powder 2 tbsp. Parsley (finely minced) 10 oz Frozen chopped Okra
White Rice Water
Directions:
Chop chicken into ½ inch chunks and sausage into ½ inch slices. Fry in pan until lightly seared. Add chicken and cook until chicken is fully cooked. Be sure to mix the two together so the chicken soaks in all the flavor of the Andoullie. Set aside. DO NOT CLEAN PAN
Fry okra in same pan that the chicken and sausage were in. Cook until the Okra loses some of its slime. Set aside. DO NOT CLEAN PAN
In same pan, melt butter. Keep on med temp. Slowly add flour while constantly stirring. This is the Roux. A burned roux will ruin gumbo, so be sure to stir the mixture constantly and keep it from stick to the pan or burning by stirring. You should stir the roux until it’s about the colour of dark peanut butter, some people like their roux darker, but this is how I make mine.
Once your roux is the right colour, pour it into a stock pot and set the burner to about med temp. Continue to stir the roux slowly, add Sausage, Chicken, Okra, Green Pepper, and Onion. Once you’ve coated these well with roux. Add 2 quarts of cold water to the pot. You can stop stirring as often and bring the pot to a boil.
Once the Gumbo is boiling, add Garlic, Parsley, Salt, Black Pepper, Chachere’s, Thyme, and Bay Leaves. Stir thoroughly. Turn the temp down to low and cover pot. Leave to simmer for 2 hours.
After 2 hours add the Filé Powder while stirring. Prepare as much white rice as needed. Simply add two part water to one part rice. Serve gumbo over rice.
ENJOY!
1lb Andoullie sausage 2 quarts cold Water
3lbs Chicken Breasts 1 tbsp. Salt
½ cup Flour 1 tsp. Black Pepper
½ cup Butter 1 tsp Tony Chachere’s Cajun Spice Mix
½ cup Green Pepper (finely chopped) 1 tsp Thyme
2 cups Onion (finely chopped) 3 Bay Leaves (Crushed)
1 tbsp. Garlic (finely minced) 1 ½ tbsp. Filé Powder 2 tbsp. Parsley (finely minced) 10 oz Frozen chopped Okra
White Rice Water
Directions:
Chop chicken into ½ inch chunks and sausage into ½ inch slices. Fry in pan until lightly seared. Add chicken and cook until chicken is fully cooked. Be sure to mix the two together so the chicken soaks in all the flavor of the Andoullie. Set aside. DO NOT CLEAN PAN
Fry okra in same pan that the chicken and sausage were in. Cook until the Okra loses some of its slime. Set aside. DO NOT CLEAN PAN
In same pan, melt butter. Keep on med temp. Slowly add flour while constantly stirring. This is the Roux. A burned roux will ruin gumbo, so be sure to stir the mixture constantly and keep it from stick to the pan or burning by stirring. You should stir the roux until it’s about the colour of dark peanut butter, some people like their roux darker, but this is how I make mine.
Once your roux is the right colour, pour it into a stock pot and set the burner to about med temp. Continue to stir the roux slowly, add Sausage, Chicken, Okra, Green Pepper, and Onion. Once you’ve coated these well with roux. Add 2 quarts of cold water to the pot. You can stop stirring as often and bring the pot to a boil.
Once the Gumbo is boiling, add Garlic, Parsley, Salt, Black Pepper, Chachere’s, Thyme, and Bay Leaves. Stir thoroughly. Turn the temp down to low and cover pot. Leave to simmer for 2 hours.
After 2 hours add the Filé Powder while stirring. Prepare as much white rice as needed. Simply add two part water to one part rice. Serve gumbo over rice.
ENJOY!