Gumbo for cold weather

Chicken Sausage Gumbo
Let's be honest. With the latest cold snap we have been into WARM foods to satisfy all the cold feelings we have been shivering with. Soup has been appearing on the menu more and more these last few weeks. The other day we retreated to Gumbo, a dish that I love to make.  With Lent and Mardi Gras looming in the future, it's a dish that hits home. You can make it with various ingredients but I'll just walk you through what I did.

First, we know it goes with rice. For presentation purposes I cooked the rice according to directions. Spray PAM in some ramekins and load it with rice. When serving it looks nice in the center of the bowl with the Gumbo ladeled around it. Invert the rice into the serving bowl before you add the Gumbo ( Oh) Garnish can be herbs, scallions, or my latest and greatest was slivered celery.Nice and flavorful, a good twist in my opinion.

The fun part. You start with a roux. Cooking equal amounts of flour and vegetable oil ( usually 1/2 cup to a cup depending on sevings) at extremely high temperatures until cooked through, a dark brown color and never burnt. It takes guts but well worth it. When it reaches the right consistency and color, remove from heat and add 1 cup each of diced celery, onion and green pepper. (known usually as the holy trinity). This will stop the cooking process and create the flavor for the gumbo.

While doing the roux/trinity thing, bring 6 to 8 cups of chicken broth to a boil. Eventually, add the roux mixture.  To that you add shredded cooked chicken breasts, sausage, shrimp if you want, okra, if it makes your day.  Experiment, add things you like or have. You can't screw it up.  An interesting note is that I made my gumbo with just chicken and sausage. Paprika coating on the chicken breast, tabasco, or other spices you like as in garlic, are up to your taste buds.The next day, into the leftovers, I added cooked shrimp and some scallops that I sauteed. Basically one recipe, two meals and I loved it. Serve with bread is terrific unless, like me, you cut back on carbs when you can. Still, A good meal anytime, not just in cold weather.

Corporate Clean-up Crew