Gumbo

I'm pretty sure this is the earliest in the day I've ever posted my dinner recipe! I have a baby shower to go to this morning, then this afternoon I'm making king cake. I'll try to post that recipe later, maybe. It's long, I don't know if I want to type it all out. I guess I should, though. Anyway, tonight we're having gumbo. YUM! This recipe is my husband's Aunt Holly's recipe, and it's fantastic. Of course, she makes it way better than I do, but I think I do a decent job considering I didn't grow up in the south.

The recipe below is as Holly sent it to me, so you'll have to read through it to find out all the ingredients. She kind of makes it as she goes, so I wouldn't know how to list out measurements for ingredients.

Aunt Holly's Gumbo
First you make a roux. I don't use olive oil I use about 3 or 4 large cooking spoons of flour and about 1 large spoon of vegetable oil. Med. heat. The roux should be the consistency of a loose paste. Stir then let it sit a few seconds then stir. Keep repeating till the roux is a med dark brown. not as dark as chocolate. Then add 1 chopped onion, about 3 or 4 green onions chopped, 1/2 bell pepper, chopped, 1 or 2 sticks celery (optional) chopped, Parsley chopped. Keep stirring and cook about 10 min till onions start to cook then add about 4 cups of water this may not be enough. but let it come to a boil and let all your roux melt this takes about 20 min. You can always add more water. It may take about 6 or more cups. I don't know I never measure. I just know what constancy it should be. Remember Gumbo is watery not like stew. As soon as it comes to boil turn fire low or it will boil over. In separate pan on high heat brown chicken. I use either breast and thighs (boneless) or sometimes like my Grandma did I cut a whole chicken. Just brown the chicken don't cook it. Then put it in with Gumbo, add smoked sausage (Bryan) I also pre cook that in separate pot to get out oil. I also add andouille sausage. I also add 1 smoked turkey wing which is also hard to find. But the smokey flavor of the turkey wing just adds flavor it's not a necessity. Everything is in one pot now and boil on low fire till chicken is well cooked. Then you can add file' if you can buy that also. I think you can it's with the spices and called Gumbo file' Add about 2 tbs. of that sprinkle on top stir than cook about 5 more min. I add a little garlic powder. Oh don't forget plenty of salt thats your flavor and pepper and cayenne pepper to, it's Cajun remember. Serve over rice.

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I'm glad I did this early in the day because I forgot to get celery at the store yesterday. I need to go back and get white rice anyway because the husband thinks gumbo with brown rice (what we always have) would be weird. Anyway, the first time I made it I was like, "Cooking spoon?! What the heck is a cooking spoon?" So I just use one of my big spoons and call it good. I'm still not very good with the roux, but I'm learning. I think I end up using more oil than it calls for to get it the right consistency. Oh man, I'm totally excited for dinner tonight!