Dyana's Cajun Gumbo
This may be the first "real dish" I ever learned to cook. My friend Dyana had "whipped it up" for dinner, and the moment I tried it all my attention was focused on this bowl of fiery soup. Dyana makes it pretty damned hot (she gets a little vial of super-red-hot pepper from her Louisiana relatives that should probably have an EPA warning on it!) but I just endured the tears and beads of sweat as I made it to the bottom of the bowl, and then seconds, and then thirds... On more than one occasion my own guests have had that reaction. Conversation starts and they just plow through the Gumbo as though under some sort of spell.
Ingredients
- 1 to 2 lbs Chicken (I use breasts) cut into small pieces
- 1 lb Andouille Sausage (can substitute with a package of "Hillshire Hot Links")
- 1/2 to 1 lb peeled Shrimp (optional)
- 1/2 Cup Flour (I always add a bit more when making the roux, but start with 1/2 cup.)
- 1/2 Cup Butter
- Vegetable Oil (for frying)
- 6 Cups Chicken Stock
- 1 large Onion, minced
- 2-4 Green Onions, chopped
- 3 Cups Cooked Brown Rice
- 1 tsp Basil
- 1 Tbsp fresh Parsley
- 2 tsp Salt
- 2+ tsp Black Pepper
- 1/2 tsp (Cayenne) Red Pepper
- 1/8 tsp Allspice
- 1/8 tsp Powdered Cloves
- 2-3 Bay Leaves
- 2+ tsp Tabasco Sauce
- 1 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
- Filé Powder
- Start heating the chicken stock in a large pot over medium heat. Don't get it boiling yet, but let it get close.
- Prep your food, cutting the White Onion, Green Onions, Chicken & Sausage.
- Fry the chicken pieces (in a little bit of oil like 1/4 - 1/2 cup) until they are just no longer pink. (You should still see some pink on the inside of them. The chicken will cook in the soup so don't worry about bacteria. Just please don't overcook it!)
- Prepare a Roux with the flour and butter. (Melt butter in frying pan, add flour slowly and whisk rapidly and constantly. Raise heat to medium-high and keep whisking 3-5 minutes until the mixture begins to turn brown. How brown you let it get will create different flavors. Practice makes perfect!)
- Quickly add the chopped white onions and keep turning. This will halt the roux getting any browner. Cook until the onion becomes transparent. (3-5 minutes) Turn off the heat.
- Add some chicken stock a bit at a time, stirring the mix constantly. It will start out very thick, then gradually become thinner and more liquid. If you don't do this "add a bit at a time" thing your results will be lumpy. After you've added about as much as will fit in your frying pan, return the entire mixture to the pot of stock. Stir well.
- Add the sausage, chicken, green onions and all spices. Simmer on low, stirring occasionally. (You may want to start the brown rice now. It takes 40-50 minutes to cook.)
- Add shrimp only 2 minutes before serving. You don't need to cook it at all. Shrimp takes very little cooking! The hot Gumbo will do everything in a couple minutes.
- Prepare by putting some rice in the bottom of each bowl. Cover with Gumbo and sprinkle some Filé over the top. Serve with bread (a loaf a french bread is nice). Put the Tabasco on the table for anyone who wants it.
- I recommend a red wine like a Chianti, Shiraz or Zinfandel.
The "+" symbol means you can increase the amount to taste at your discretion. The only hard ingredient to find is File Powder (pronounced fee'-lay) but it is worth the search. (It's actually ground Sassafras leaves!) Go to your local gourmet store if you can find it at the supermarket. It's not that hard to track down, and one bottle will last you a lifetime.
