Soups
and Vegetables:
Gumbo
from
River
Road Recipes II...
A
Second Helping
INGREDIENTS:
1
chicken or leftover carcass
Salt,
pepper and cayenne pepper to taste
1/2
to 1 pound sausage, chopped
2
cups okra
1
bell pepper, chopped
3
pods garlic, chopped
1
large onion, chopped
3
bay leaves
1
teaspoon basil
2
teaspoons thyme
2
tomatoes, fresh or canned
3
tablespoons fat or oil
3
tablespoons flour
1
cup stock
Shrimp,
oysters, crabs (optional)
TO
PREPARE:
Cook
chicken in water with salt, pepper and cayenne pepper until tender.
Remove meat from bone in slivers. Save stock. You may also
use a leftover turkey, ham or duck carcass in place of chicken. In
a large pot, sauté sausage. Remove sausage from pot and sauté
okra, bell pepper, garlic, onion, bay leaves, basil and thyme in sausage
drippings. Stir frequently to prevent burning or sticking.
When tender, add tomatoes that have been puréed in blender or finely
chopped. Let this simmer 15 minutes, stirring frequently. Add
chicken and stock. Let gumbo mixture simmer.
The
roux is made in a small pan, preferably cast iron. Heat fat or oil
over medium heat until it is just about to smoke. Add flour, stirring
constantly. It should take 3 to 5 minutes to turn dark brown.
Be careful not to burn. When roux is done, remove from heat and let
cool 5 minutes. Slowly add 1 cup of hot stock, stirring so it won't
lump. Add this to gumbo. You may also add shrimp, gumbo crabs,
crab claws or crabmeat and oysters. Season to taste with salt and
cayenne pepper. Simmer 2 to 3 hours. Serve over rice.
NOTE:
If okra is not used in gumbo, sprinkle 1 teaspoon of filé in each
bowl after gumbo has been served.
SERVES
12
Copyright 1994 The Junior
League of Baton Rouge, Inc. All rights reserved.
Visit The
Junior League of Baton Rouge web site to purchase copies of River
Road Recipes II and other fine cookbooks, or call (225)
924-0298.
The Junior League of Baton
Rouge, Inc. is an organization of women committed to promoting voluntarism,
developing the potential of women and to improving the community through
the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers. Its purpose
is exclusively educational and charitable. All proceeds from League
fundraising efforts, including from the sale of River
Road Recipes II, are returned to the community.
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