Gumbo time=Community

Passport & Plate - Cajun gumbo

USA | Friday, March 14, 2014 | 5 photos

Ingredients
Flour, vegetable oil- to make roux
1 each- onion, green bell pepper, and jalapeno pepper -chopped
2 each- stalks of celery, cloves of garlic- chopped
chicken pieces, drumsticks and thighs preferable, but boneless or any pieces will do
sausage- preferably Cajun smoked and fresh sausage- cut in rounds and pan fried
smoked dried tasoo - (Cajun smoked, seasoned type or ham)
green onions-chopped
rice
potatoes
eggs
dill relish
mustard
mayo

seasonings- salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, file-ground sassafrass

 

How to prepare this recipe
1.To make the roux- Put equal parts flour and oil in pan- stir constantly while cooking on medium-high heat- will take about an hour or more to get a rich dark chocolate color and consistency
2.Put large pot of water boiling while roux cooks
3.After roux is made,(should have consistency of a paste) add it to your boiling pot of water
4.Add chopped vegetables and seasonings, particularly salt; let boil for a 30-45 min
5.Add chicken, tasso and sausage- (pan fry the sausages in a the same pot you cooked the roux in) to the pot of boiling water/gumbo base
6.Cook large pot of rice while gumbo cooks- serve in bowl before putting gumbo juice and meat on top.
7. Voila! gumbo... the longer you let it cook, the better the flavors will blend and the tastier it will be! (I taste the juice every 30 min- 1 hr to see if it is salted/seasoned enough, be careful not to add too much salt initially.. better to slowly add it in, but you will need a good bit of salt.. or it will just taste like oily/flourful roux) Enjoy conversations with your friends and family while it cooks..
8.Potato salad- great side dish with gumbo. Cook potatoes and eggs in large pot- mash all together with more mustard than mayo, seasonings, dill relish and diced green onions. Serve with gumbo! (really tasty to put a scoop in your bowl-will soak up the gumbo juices.)

 

The story behind this recipe
I grew up eating Cajun gumbo. I am from Southern Louisiana, Lafayette - A small town where the Cajuns settled. Every time the weather would turn the slightest bit cold, my Mom would make a huge pot of gumbo.. It made the whole house smell amazing and we were all so excited to eat comforting, warm, delicious gumbo. I love to cook, and gumbo is one of my favorite recipes. I moved away for college in undergrad and more recently graduate school, and it is always the first recipe I like to share with new friends in the places that I move. I recently celebrated Mardi Gras away from home, and the best way I knew how to was to make a huge pot of gumbo and share it with friends as the snow fell outside. I love that it takes hours to really make a gumbo taste delicious, and that there is really no point in making a small pot of gumbo. It is the most easily share meal in Cajun culture in my opinion and simple and delicious. It is the epitome of comfort.