Barbs Gumbo Recipe Foodcom Recipes

AUTHENTIC NEW ORLEANS STYLE GUMBO

Steps:

• Make the Roux*: In a large, heavy bottom stock pot combine flour and oil. Cook on medium-low heat, stirring constantly for 30-45 minutes. This part takes patience--when it's finished it should be as dark as chocolate and have a soft, "cookie dough" like consistency. Be careful not to let it burn! Feel free to add a little more flour or oil as needed to reach this consistency.
• Brown the sausage. In a separate skillet on medium-high heat place the sausage slices in one layer in the pan. Brown them well on one side (2-3 minutes) and then use a fork to flip each over onto the other side to brown. Remove to a plate.
• Cook the vegetables in broth. Add 1/2 cup of the chicken broth to the hot skillet that had the sausage to deglaze the pan. Pour the broth and drippings into your large soup pot.
• Add remaining 5 1/2 cups of chicken broth. Add veggies, parsley, and roux to the pot and stir well.
• Bring to a boil over medium heat and boil for 5-7 minutes, or until the vegetables are slightly tender. (Skim off any foam that may rise to the top of the pot.) Stir in cajun seasoning, to taste.
• Add meat. Add chicken, sausage, and shrimp.
• Taste and serve. At this point taste it and add more seasonings to your liking--salt, pepper, chicken bullion paste, garlic, more Joe's stuff or more chicken broth--until you reach the perfect flavor. Serve warm over rice. (Tastes even better the next day!)

GUMBO

Steps:

• Heat 1/2 cup of the vegetable oil in a cast-iron or other heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat until very hot. Add the flour and whisk until combined and just beginning to brown. Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue to cook, whisking occasionally, until it is a deep peanut butter brown color, 15 minutes. Set the roux aside.
• Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a Dutch oven or large pot over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook, stirring occasionally, until the fat has rendered and is lightly browned. Remove the sausage with a slotted spoon to a bowl. Sprinkle the chicken pieces with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and brown over medium heat in the sausage drippings. Remove the chicken from the pot and place in the bowl with the sausage. Stir in the tomato paste until smooth and slightly darkened (be careful not to burn), about 1 minute. Add the celery, onions, peppers and cayenne to the pot and continue to cook until softened, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until just aromatic, about 30 seconds. Add the chicken broth and 2 cups water and bring to a simmer. Slowly whisk in the warm roux a bit at a time until combined. Tie the pickling spice in a bit of cheesecloth and add to the pot along with the chicken and sausage. Simmer all together until thickened and the flavors have blended, about 45 minutes.
• Add the shrimp and gumbo file and simmer until the shrimp are just cooked through and the gumbo has thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove and discard the pickling spice bundle. Taste and adjust the seasoning with additional salt and pepper. Serve the gumbo over rice.

BARB'S GUMBO

Steps:

• Add oil to skillet, heat over medium heat add the flour, to make a roux.
• (It is ready when it's color matches that of a penney).
• This may take about 15 minutes.
• Stir in onion, celery, bell pepper, garlic, and black pepper.
• Cook over medium heat about 3 minutes or till vegetables are crisp tender.
• Gradually stir in chicken broth, tomatoes, salt, Worcestershire sauce, pepper sauce, corn, okra, Basil, thyme, cumin and bay leaf.
• Bring to boiling point; reduce heat.
• Cover and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes.
• Add SHRIMP during the last 5 minutes.
• Serve over Rice.
• This can also be made with chicken, if using chicken.
• Use chicken breast cut in chunks Add during the last 20 to 30 minute cooking time.
• Smoked sausage is also good added with the chicken.
• I have added a can of crabmeat to the shrimp version.

GUMBO

Steps:

• For the roasted okra: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Toss the okra with some olive oil, then spread in a baking sheet. Bake until cooked through, about 15 minutes.
• For the blackening spice: Stir together the paprika, salt, pepper, cayenne, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano and thyme in a jar.
• For the gumbo: Saute sausage, garlic, celery, onion and peppers in 1/2 cup olive oil in a saucepot until veggies are soft.
• Mix flour with canola oil and remaining 1/2 cup olive oil in a saute pan over medium heat and cook until dark brown, then add to veggie pot. Add 1/4 cup blackening spice (save the remainder for another use). Add stock, chicken, pork, tomatoes, file, oregano, thyme and bay leaf, then add salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil and let simmer for 45 minutes.
• Mix the okra in with the rest of the gumbo. Serve with rice or cornbread.

GUMBO (COURTESY OF HUNGRY GIRL.COM)

Steps:

• Bring a large pot sprayed with nonstick spray to medium heat. Add bell peppers and onion. Stirring occasionally, cook for about 3 minutes, until tender.
• Add tomatoes, V8 juice, and cornstarch. Stir well, making sure cornstarch dissolves completely. Cook until mixture begins to bubble. Add okra, Cajun seasoning, and Frank's RedHot. Stir and bring mixture to a boil.
• Reduce heat to low. Cover and let simmer for 10 minutes.
• Add shrimp, and continue to simmer until shrimp are cooked through, about 3 - 4 minutes. Add crab meat and 3/4 cup water. Raise heat to medium, and return to a boil.
• Remove pot from heat, cover, and let thicken for 5 minutes. Season to taste with black pepper. If you like, add a little more Cajun seasoning and Frank's RedHot. Enjoy!

GUMBO

Steps:

• In a large stockpot combine oil and flour and cook over medium-high heat about 15 minutes or until it turns very dark brown, almost between brown and black.
• You will have to stir almost constantly.
• This is called the roux.
• Add onions, parsley, celery, bell peppers, scallions and garlic and cook about 10 more minutes or until vegetables are tender, stirring regularly.
• Add broth, salt, and creole seasoning.
• (If you like you may also add a 10 oz package of frozen okra at this point, but I despise the stuff).
• Cover pot and simmer 15 minutes stirring occasionally.
• Add your chosen combination of meat at this point and simmer an additional 10 minutes (if using whole pieces of crab like claws, or blue crab halves cook a little longer to ensure they're cooked all the way.).
• Ladle over steamed white rice.