My Grandmother's Gumbo - As Near As I Can Remember |
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Prep Time: 180 Minutes Cook Time: 0 Minutes |
Ready In: 180 Minutes Servings: 10 |
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My grandmother used to make a wonderful gumbo - but over the years the recipe has been lost. After a lot of emails to family members, and research on-line and in cookbooks, I came up with this version. My grandmother always started with a whole chicken and made the stock herself. If you are pressed for time, you can use prepared chicken broth - but I promise you - it won't be as good. Gumbo tastes best if it is made at least one day in advance and then chilled. This allows the flavors to meld. This is a fiddly recipe, and it takes a lot of time. But the results are more than worth the trouble, I promise. Ingredients:
3 lbs chicken |
14 cups water |
1 onion, rough cut |
1 stalk celery, rough cut |
1 carrot, unpeeled and rough cut |
2 sprigs parsley |
2 bay leaves |
salt and pepper |
5 tablespoons butter |
1/4 cup flour |
1 large onion, cut into thick slices |
1 green pepper, diced |
2 stalks celery, diced |
1 lb okra, cut into chunks |
2 tablespoons parsley, chopped |
4 cups tomatoes, chopped |
2 garlic cloves, minced |
salt and pepper |
2 bay leaves |
1 lb shrimp, cleaned and shelled |
Directions:
1. Place the Chicken, water, onion, celery, carrot, parsley, bay leaves and salt and pepper into a large stock pot. Bring almost to a boil. Cover and turn the temperature very low. Allow to cook, skimming off the froth occasionally, for about an hour.
2. Cool the broth slightly and then strain - pressing out as much water from the meat as possible. Remove the chicken meat and reserve for later. Set the broth aside for later. Discard all of the remaining solids. These steps can be done early in the day or the day ahead.
3. Make a roux: Melt the 5 tablespoons of butter in a very large soup pot over medium low heat. Stir in the flour and continue stirring until the roux is a deep coppery color - this takes up to 15 minutes. If you burn it, throw it away and begin again. The scorched taste will ruin your gumbo.
4. Add the onion to the roux. Cook 2-3 minutes until soft, stirring almost constantly.
5. Add the green pepper and celery. Cook 2-3 minutes, stirring almost constantly.
6. Add the okra and parsley. Cook 3 - 5 minutes, stirring frequently. If it sticks to the pan too much, toss in 1/4 of water.
7. Add the tomatoes, garlic, salt and pepper, and bay leaves.
8. Add the reserved chicken broth back to the pot. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Lower the temperature and simmer for 1 1/2 hours.
9. At this point I let the gumbo cool down and then set the whole thing in the fridge at least over night.
10. Return the soup to the stove top. Add in the reserved chicken and the shrimp. Heat through and serve over rice.
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