Good Ol Gumbo Recipes

Steps:

• Have all the vegetables chopped and ready before beginning the Gumbo.
• Dice half of the sausage.
• Cut rounds of the remaining sausage.
• In a heavy soup pot, combine flour and oil and optional bacon fat to form the roux.
• Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the color of coffee.
• This will take 20 minutes or more.
• Do not walk away from the stove as the flour will burn and cause you to start again.
• Once the roux is finished, lower heat to medium low, and add all the chopped veggies except the okra.
• Cook stirring constantly until the veggies begin to sweat.
• The roux will absorb the sweat so watch carefully.
• Again, do not walk away.
• Once the veggies begin to sweat, add the tomato paste and stir until distributed.
• Add all the dry spices.
• Slowly add the chicken stock, stirring to avoid lumps.
• Add the chopped sausage and browned chicken.
• Cover and simmer until the chicken is cooked thru.
• Remove the chicken from the pot, and tear into bite sized pieces.
• Reserve.
• Add the okra and cook until tender, about 10 minutes.
• Return chicken to the pot, and add remainder of the sausage.
• Taste for seasoning and add salt or pepper to taste.
• In the last few minutes before you are ready to eat, add the shrimp to the simmering gumbo, and cover.
• Heat for two minutes and then turn off heat.
• Allow to sit for another 5 minutes.
• Serve over rice.

Steps:

• Make a roux by whisking the flour and 3/4 cup bacon drippings together in a large, heavy saucepan over medium-low heat to form a smooth mixture. Cook the roux, whisking constantly, until it turns a rich mahogany brown color. This can take 20 to 30 minutes; watch heat carefully and whisk constantly or roux will burn. Remove from heat; continue whisking until mixture stops cooking.
• Place the celery, onion, green bell pepper, and garlic into the work bowl of a food processor, and pulse until the vegetables are very finely chopped. Stir the vegetables into the roux, and mix in the sausage. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium-low heat, and cook until vegetables are tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat, and set aside.
• Bring the water and beef bouillon cubes to a boil in a large Dutch oven or soup pot. Stir until the bouillon cubes dissolve, and whisk the roux mixture into the boiling water. Reduce heat to a simmer, and mix in the sugar, salt, hot pepper sauce, Cajun seasoning, bay leaves, thyme, stewed tomatoes, and tomato sauce. Simmer the soup over low heat for 1 hour; mix in 2 teaspoons of file gumbo powder at the 45-minute mark.
• Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons of bacon drippings in a skillet, and cook the okra with vinegar over medium heat for 15 minutes; remove okra with slotted spoon, and stir into the simmering gumbo. Mix in crabmeat, shrimp, and Worcestershire sauce, and simmer until flavors have blended, 45 more minutes. Just before serving, stir in 2 more teaspoons of file gumbo powder.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C.)
• In a large bowl, combine peach preserves, sweet potato, evaporated milk, brown sugar, eggs, salt and spice. Beat until smooth. Pour into pie crust. Sprinkle the pecans around the edge of the filling.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes, or until filling is set and crust is golden brown.