gumbo!

I love gumbo. I love anything spicy, really, and my aunt sent me a giant basket of D'Artagnan meats and sausages for Christmas (talk about knowing your audience!) so with the Andouille sausage I couldn't resist making some. PS - I opened a giant 6-lb can of tomatoes to make this, so you can be expecting lots of tomato recipes =)

sorry for the ugliness - i will soon start a Handsomer Bowls savings account and get some more photogenic ones

gumbo

• 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 green bell pepper, deseeded and chopped
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3-4 celery stalks, chopped
• 6 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or to taste)
• 1/4 cup canned tomatoes - chopped or otherwise
• 4 cups homemade chicken stock + 1 lb cooked chicken meat or raw skinless boneless thighs
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce, or to taste
• 1 pound andouille sausage, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices
• 8 oz sliced okra (fresh or frozen - honestly I didn't have this and it was still delicious, although probably less authentic)
• 1/2 pound raw shrimp

• Minced fresh Italian parsley (didn't have this either)
• Steamed rice

Heat pot over medium heat. Add flour and stir constantly until mixture takes a little color, maybe 3-4 minutes. Then add oil. Stir until the mixture cooks to 'the color of a penny" about 5 minutes.

almost there - don't let it burn!

Add chopped onions, chopped bell peppers, and chopped celery and cook until onions are soft, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and cayenne and stir 2 minutes. 

Add stock and tomatoes with juice, bring to boil and simmer.  Add fish sauce and raw chicken if using; simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 15 minutes. Add sausage and okra and simmer until tender, about 10 minutes.

Add shrimp to pot and cook shrimp until just opaque in center, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Season gumbo to taste with salt, pepper and more cayenne if you like it hot (!!). Garnish with parsley and serve with rice!