Ingredients: |
Ingredients: 5 lbs. dried red kidney beans
3 lbs. Andouille sausage
3 lbs. Smoked sausage
3 lbs. Smoked ham
3 lbs. Heavy sugar smoked turkey necks*
10 large Vidalia onions, chopped
4 large bell peppers, chopped
1 bunch celery, chopped
1 cup chopped garlic
6 bunches green onions, chopped
1 bunch fresh parsley, chopped
Louisiana Hot Sauce
Salt and black pepper to taste
6 cups plain white flour
6 cups peanut oil**
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Directions: |
Directions:Place beans in a large pot and rinse them with cold water 2-3 times. Add enough water to the pot to cover the beans with 2-3 inches of water and let soak overnight (at least 12 hours). First you make a roux. (This can be done a day in advance.) In a 12-quart black iron pot, warm oil slightly. When oil is warm spoon in flour and whisk constantly. When flour is thoroughly mixed in, raise temperature to medium-high and continue whisking. When flour is frying, switch to a spatula and CONSTANTLY and METHODICALLY scrape the bottom of the pot. When the flour has achieved a light tan color, lower the temperature to medium to medium-low, still scraping the pot. When the flour has reached the color of peanut butter it will begin to thicken and no longer appear soupy, at this point you have made a Cajun light brown roux. LOWER temperature to medium-low to low and brown a little more until the color of the roux is a shade lighter than caramel and remove from heat. Continue to stir the pot a few minutes (because the hot pot will continue to cook the flour) and then stir every 5 minutes until pot has cooled enough so as not to burn roux. Upon cooling, you will have made a Cajun dark brown roux. Remove from the pot and set aside in a large stainless steel bowl. Allow flour and oil to separate over night (at least 6 hours) in refrigerator.
Tip:
It is easier to make a large pot of roux simply because the heat is more evenly distributed throughout the mixture and hot spots won’t occur which will burn the roux. (I make a large pot and freeze it for when I need it.) If black specs appear in the roux, discard and start over, you have burnt it!
To cook:
Drain soaking water from pot of beans and refill to 2-3 inches above beans. In a 12-quart black iron pot, skim ¼ cup of oil from settled roux and lightly fry turkey necks on medium high heat. Remove turkey necks and add to pot of beans, reserving oil in pot for later use. Bring beans to a rolling boil and allow to cook thirty minutes, stirring occasionally to avoid scorching. Reduce to a simmer and cook approximately one hour or until beans are tender. Stir from time to time, as beans will settle to the bottom of the pot as they cook. When beans are tender, remove from heat and allow to cool. In a blender, puree about ¾ of the whole beans and return to the pot. Set aside. In the same 12-quart black iron pot used to fry turkey necks, fry andouille, sausage and ham until brown on medium-high heat. Remove and add to the pot of beans. In the same pot and oil, add onions, bell peppers, celery, and garlic (add more oil from roux if needed). Sauté five to ten minutes until vegetables are wilted. Add to meats and prepared beans. Blend well and cook 15 minutes or until mixture has reached a rolling boil. Pour off or skim remaining oil from top of roux (the oil can be saved to make another roux at a later date if desired) and add 5 cups of settled roux to pot. Boil and additional 5 – 10 minutes until roux is well incorporated into mixture. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook 10 minutes, then add green onions and parsley. Continue cooking for 15 minutes. If gumbo is not thick enough at the point, add remaining roux. Cook 15 more minutes or until gumbo is creamy and remaining whole beans are done. Season to taste with salt, pepper and Louisiana Hot Sauce. Serve over white rice and enjoy.
*The smoked turkey neck bones are essential to the gumbo. They provide the stock necessary to flavor the gumbo. I sometimes substitute duck stock (made from de-breasted duck carcasses) and any remaining duck meat, along with turkey stock (made from the remains of Thanksgiving’s turkey carcass) and any remaining turkey meat. If smoked turkey necks are not available, smoked turkey or chicken drumsticks will do.
**If peanut oil is not available, vegetable oil will do. |
Personal
Notes: |
Personal
Notes: This recipe comes from my Cajun French speaking grandmother’s sister. Every Christmas Eve at the bonfire party on the Mississippi river levee in Gramercy, Louisiana she makes a large pot to feed everyone (I have a very large extended family). She has never written the recipe down, but I watched her make it one year while helping build the bonfire and wrote down the recipe as best I could. This is the refined recipe that very closely resembles hers.
Now every year before hunting season I make a pot and freeze most of it to take to the camp for that Friday night arrival meal. If the volume looks to large, try cutting it by ½ and inviting some friends to pitch in and split it. This recipe also prove the saying, “A Cajun will make a gumbo with anything!” Try it, you will be very pleased.
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This recipe for Aunt Rosalie's Famous Red Bean Gumbo is from