Quingombo, an African Congo word for okra, became ‘gumbo’ in Lousiana and came to be known as a thick soup/stew either with okra or with filé powder (ground sassafras root).
Roux is the most important component in a successful gumbo. It cannot be rushed and must not burn while cooking or the dish will have a bitter taste. Make the gumbo a day or two ahead of time if you can, for it only improves with time.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup bacon drippings
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 2 1/2 cups chopped onion
- 1 1/2 cups chopped celery
- 3/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
- 1/4 cup chopped parsley
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 2 medium garlic cloves, minced
- 1 bunch chopped, green onions
- 1 quart chicken stock*
- 2 cups water
- 2 cups dry white wine
- 1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes
- 3/4 teaspoon filé powder (cajun seasoning)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh chervil (french parsley)
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoon ground red pepper OR cayenne pepper (use 1/2 tsp if from Annie Kays)
- 1/8 teaspoon dried thyme, crumbled
- 1/8 teaspoon dried rosemary, crumbled
- 1/8 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled
- 1/8 teaspoon chopped fresh tarragon
- 1/8 teaspoon chopped fresh dill
- 16 ounces sausage, sliced – andouille, chorizo, Italian, pork, OR Kielbasa
- 2 Ibs boneless, skinless chicken breasts – cut into serving pierces, broiled and shredded.
- 1 bag frozen okra
- (optional) 4-6 ounces jalapeno slices from jar
- 4 cups dry rice – cooked
*May substitute 1 quart water with 2 chicken bouillon cubes and 2 cloves garlic – boiled and cooled
Vegetarian Instructions:
If you would like to make this vegetarian substitute the following:
- Instead of Bacon Fat use the same amount of butter to make the roux
- Instead of Chicken Stock use Vegetable Stock
- Meat substitutions (If they are fine with a meat-like product):
- Substitute the chicken and sausage for Beyond meat sausage (not breakfast!)
- Veggie Additions (Add more substance to the gumbo if they don’t want meat), add these when you add the other veggies:
- Half a head of cauliflower
- Chopped Mushrooms
- Bundle of carrots
Directions
Make the Roux
Melt bacon drippings in a 5-quart Dutch Oven pot over medium heat. Add flour and stir until copper color (dirty penny), about 15 minutes. Be sure to stir often so it doesn’t burn!
Cook down the veggies
Immediately after Roux is ready, dump prepped veggies list below in the roux and stir frequently to prevent sticking. Cook 1 hour.
- Onion
- Celery
- Green Onion
- Green Pepper
- Parsley
- Garlic
Stew the broth
Add stock, water, wine, tomatoes, ketchup, filé powder, salt, pepper, and herbs. Simmer 1.5 hours stirring occasionally
Dump in the meat
Blend in all remaining ingredients (except the okra) and simmer 40 minutes. Once the meat is in, stir frequently so that it does not sink and stick to the bottom.
Finishing Okra
During the last 15 minutes, dump the frozen okra into the pot so it can cook through without getting slimy.
Serve over Rice
Serve over rice with some hot sauce