Gourmet Thursday: The gumbo of your dreams

Good Evening.
A few years ago the husband and I went to New Orleans for a small vacation. We spent a lot of time on Bourbon Street and the area around there. Now its been long enough that I can't remember the name of the place we ate at but its the first time we ever had gumbo and we fell in love (with the gumbo, we already liked each other or we wouldn't be vacationing together...duh). I came home and of course tried to make and remake this wonderful food that we just couldn't possibly get here in Indiana. I finally came upon a recipe that was similar to what I wanted to see in my gumbo...I'm going to share it with you.

• BASE
• 48 oz chicken broth, the big box of swanson
• MEAT
• 3 chicken breasts
• 1 pound andouille sausage, sliced
• VEGGIES
• 1 green bell pepper
• 3ish stalks celery, depends on the size
• 1 onion, white
• SPICES
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon file powder

The Roux:

• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

Cut my chicken into smallish pieces and use half of the chicken broth to cook it on the stove until cooked through.  (I have this thing about uncooked chicken, I ALWAYS think its under cooked, so i cook it separately)

While that is cooking I slice the sausage (if you can't find andouille, smoked is ok, not as good but still good to use) I use the other half of the chicken broth in a crock pot and put it on high and put the sausage in. At this point I also put in all the spices. I don't like adding salt to my meals but the original recipe called for two teaspoons, its up to you.

While all that is going I cut my veggies, If you have picky eaters at home like my husband who doesn't like vegetables you can use a food chopper (I got mine from Walmart for 5 bucks, its lasted at least 3 years) I pretty much puree the crap out of these until you can't tell they were ever vegetables. They end up like a severely chopped textured water. AS you add these to your cooking sausage in the crock pot you may notice they do a baking soda effect and bubble up, its all good just stir them in. 

By this time my chicken is all good and I add that with all the chicken broth into the crock pot.


Lastly I make the roux, usually just because I tend to burn it and end up making it several times unless I leave it for last. Roux is simple, put the two things together and mix them up, stir enough so you don't burn them but not so much that it isn't turning a lovely shade of brown. When roux is a little darker then golden I add it to the crock pot and yes it will bubble too, just stir it in. 

Gumbo is best it let to cook overnight, the longer it cooks the better it will be. I just put mine on low and leave it, till we are ready to eat.

This is not a super thick gumbo but serve it over zatarains jambalaya rice and mmmm more please.

Happy Eating

-Tori