Louisiana Gumbo
From: Gail Howat
I doubled this recipe because I had so much stock and leftovers. It served twenty people. It's not as much work as it looks.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup flower
The Vegetables:
1 & 1/2 cups chopped yellow onion
1 & 1/2 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped plum tomatoes
1 teaspoon minced garlic... or more!
8 ounces okra, washed and sliced into little rounds then sauteed in a pan
8 cups turkey or chicken stock
1/4 cup Worcestershire
1/4 cup catsup
1/4 teaspoon Tabasco or to taste
1 teaspoon salt
1 bay leaf
1 & 1/2 teaspoons each of fresh thyme and rosemary
1/2 teaspoon crushed dried hot chile
1-2 cups leftover cooked chicken or turkey
sausage or ham cut into small dice
2 pounds of cooked shrimp
crab meat if you have it
jar of oysters with liquid
brown sugar and lemon juice
cooked rice
parsley garnish
Method:
In a stockpot over medium-low heat, warm 1/2 cup of the oil. Whisk in the flour, then stir constantly... this is the hard part... until the roux is very dark brown... about 4-5 minutes. Do not wimp out and burn it. It should be the color of Mom's almond roca or darker.
Add the vegetables to the roux and stir until softly cooked... they say about 45 minutes, but I add a little stock and cook 30 minutes.
While the vegetables are cooking, sautee the okra in 2 tablespoons of oil until lightly browned. Add to the vegetables and roux.
Add to the pot: chicken or turkey stock, Worcestershire, catsup Tabasco, salt, bay leaf, thyme, rosemary, and crushed hot chili.
Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer 3-4 hours, stirring occasionally.
About 30 minutes before serving, add: cooked turkey/chicken, sausage or ham, shrimp, and crab meat.
About 10 minutes before serving, add oysters, seasoned with brown sugar and lemon.
Ladle the gumbo into shallow bowls and top with a scoop of cooked rice.
Garnish with parsley.