Recipe for the Day

[Ah Pook]

My parents would go to this Cajun restaurant for lunch. Mom would come back and try out the recipe. We ate a lot of gumbo that spring.

Gumbo

1 green Pepper
1 large chopped onion
3 cups okra
3 cups whole skinned tomatoes
3-4 stalks celery with leaves
1 stick butter
1/2 cup bacon grease
2 1/2-3 cups flour
3 cups shrimp broth (boiled shrimp shells)
2 cups chicken Broth
1-1 1/2 lb shrimp
1 lb clams
1 lb andouille sausage
2-3 cloves garlic
2-3 bay leaves
Spices Estimated
2-3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon thyme
1 1/2 tablespoons oregano
2 teaspoons pepper
2 teaspoons sea salt
1-2 teaspoon cayenne powder
2-3 teaspoons gumbo fil? (sassafras)

1. Chop and prep all veggies.
2. Slice andouille sausage about 1/2? or less.
3. Add stocks into a stock pot and start to boil with the bay leaves..
4. The roux
? Heat a cast iron or heavy skillet to medium-med/high.
? Add stick of butter and bacon grease. This will equal 1 cup of oils.
? When oils are hot, slowly add flour and whisk. DO NOT STOP WHISKING!
? Once 2 1/2-3 cups of flour are whisked in, the roux should have a consistency of baby poo.
? The roux will start to toast and turn a mahogany color. The darker the better.
? Continually whisk for 30-45 minutes. DO NOT STOP WHISKING!
? Turn off heat but continue to whisk.
5. Once the roux is ready, stir the veggies (minus the tomatoes) into the roux one hand full at a time, until all veggies have been added.
6. The veggies will cook in 2-4 minutes.
7. Add the roux/veggie mixture into the stock pot one spoon full at a time and stir to dissolve.
8. Keep the stock pot boiling.
9. Heat a skillet and add the sliced andouille sausage. Cook until the ends have a light crust.
10. Add the andouille and any residual grease to the stock pot.
11. Add tomatoes.
12. Add water to submerge pot contents.
13. Add spices to taste (except gumbo fil?). I do not measure spices. Never have.
14. Simmer at a light boil for an hour, stirring occasionally.
15. Go get a beer and sit down.
16. Once the spices are dialed in stir in the shrimp, clams and gumbo fil?.
17. Simmer for about 15 minutes and serve.

Serve over basmati rice or with corn bread.

I do the roux first to an almond color (30-40 minutes of constant string), and add chicken stock to cool.
I also add chicken breasts, scallops, crab and other hard sausage.

This one was with three corn breads. Jiffy jalapeno and cheddar, iron skillet cornbread, and hoe cakes.