Directions: |
Directions:You must have a large iron skillet, a stock pot and then a large iron pot with a lid to make this gumbo properly.
These two things go on at the same time. Creating the stock and making the roux. They are in separate utensils.
In a stock pan take the chicken bones, the shrimp heads and tails, the onion skins, the bottom and tops of the celery and the pieces of garlic skins and tips that you are not going to use in your trinity prep. Throw all this in a large stock pot and add water to this and put it on a slow boil. While this is going on you can make your roux.
Make your roux an oak color. To do this you take the oil and cover the bottom of the skillet about an eighth of an inch deep, heat this oil on low medium flame or setting. Before it smokes, or when it just begins to smoke add the flour. Use a couple of nice handfuls.
Stir this constantly as it mixes and then darkens. If it looks like you need more oil, or more flour, add a little until you get a nice creamy flour-oil mixture in the bottom of your skillet. Keep stirring this until you have a roux the color of dark oak. You can't make a good roux if you just have lumpy flour globs coated in oil. Stir, stir, stir until it browns and you can smell the nice nutty flavor coming out of the skillet as the flour browns.
Once it's oak colored add the trinity you have chopped. The Creole trinity consists of:
One bell pepper,diced, one yellow onion, diced, and three celery stalks, diced. First ADD the onion to the roux and watch it cook for about three minutes until it is soft, next add the bell pepper and the celery and simmer this.
The roux will stick to these vegetables and look like a mess. Don't worry, the addition of the stock will even all this out. At the end of the trinity simmering about four minutes later add the garlic and stir roux again for a minute or so, don't let the garlic burn.
Now add about 1 or 1 and a half cups of stock and enjoy the smells as this combines and steam wafts up from your skillet. Stir all this together and let it combine in its loveliness for a minute or so.
Lift all this up and dump it into a big iron pot on low-med heat. Add the chicken that is cubed and the andouille sausage that is sliced into 1/4 inch or 1/2 inch rings. Let all this simmer and add a bay leaf to it and cook it on low simmer for about 30 minutes. About 5 minutes before you want to serve the gumbo put in the uncooked shrimp. People often goof up this part and add the shrimp too early. If added too early the shrimp gets soft and soggy, not good. Stir in the shrimp it will change color and turn pink and cooked. Add the okra with the shrimp, same deal, if okra gets in too early its gets really gooey and loses its firmness.
Serve over cooked Louisiana white rice. Don't over serve the quantity of rice served in the bottom of the bowl. Just a 1/4 cup in a small bowl, or 1/3 cup in a large serving bowl is just right. We don't like our gumbo too ricey down here.
Garnish with a nice handful on top of fresh crab meat and file'. |
Personal
Notes: |
Personal
Notes: Fran and Melody came to New Orleans for Mardi Gras and we had a fabulous time together staying just off the St. Charles Ave. parade route. Had we been sober for any length of time I would have made this gumbo, but alas we were not.
Special Creole Garlic Bread:
Take a nice loaf of French bread and slice it open long ways. Smear the top of this with butter, paper thin slices of garlic, Romano cheese and sprinkle with paprika. Toast this until the cheese and butter have melted and are nice and brown.
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This recipe for New Orleans Gumbo, by 