Gumbo Yumbo

It's a little laughable that I'm doing a post on a recipe since I'm a pretty unremarkable cook. But, I did spend my formative years in south Louisiana, so my gumbo ain't half bad. First, a few fun facts about gumbo:

• One can find written references to gumbo made with owl, muskrat, and squirrel. No. Thank. You.
• No one is sure if gumbo has its origins in Cajun or Creole tradition.
• This is, hands down, my favorite Louisiana dish. 
• If you're ever in New Orleans, stop by the Gumbo Shop for some killer gumbo. 
• It's uncouth for a gumbo recipe to call for both file and okra. So, naturally, my recipe has both. 

Here's my recipe...

[Easy] Gumbo

1. Heat 2 tablespoons butter in a medium-sized pot. Once it's melted, add 2 tablespoons flour. Stir regularly as the flour browns. I like mine the color of coffee with a little milk in it. Make sure the browning is happening slowly as it will burn quickly. This is a roux, in case you didn't already know that. :)

roux

2.  Once you have the roux the color you like it, add 1 chopped medium onion, 4 chopped ribs of celery, and 2-3 minced cloves of garlic. (A lot of cooks put in a bell pepper, too, but I hate bell pepper!) Cook veggies until they are limp.

3.  Add 1 link of sausage (You choose the type. Some like it andouille which is pretty hot. I use turkey sausage for a leaner, milder gumbo.) and 3ish chicken breasts cut up. You can add the meat cooked or uncooked, that's up to you - I added cooked chicken only because my pan didn't have a lot of room and I wasn't sure how long it'd take the chicken to all cook. Continue cooking until the meat is done.

cooked veggies and meat

4.  Add 2 cans diced tomatoes, 1 small bag of frozen okra, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, 1 teaspoon gumbo file / ground sassafras (might have to order this online), 1 teaspoon Tony Chachere's seasoning, salt to taste, and enough chicken stock or water to cover. If you like heat, you can add Tobasco sauce, too.  Let it all simmer very low for at least an hour, preferably 3 hours. Check it every now and then and add water/stock if necessary if it gets too thick. If you like shrimp, add 1/2 pound about 20 minutes before serving.

yummers

5. Serve over rice & ENJOY!