Carol's Gumbo
- Minutes to Prepare:
- Minutes to Cook:
- Number of Servings: 15
Ingredients
*2 lbs. pre-cooked turkey, shredded or cubed*3 lbs. andouille sausage, cut into 1-inch circular rounds*1 lb. tasso, cubed*4 small onions, chopped*10 cloves garlic, minced or pressed*3 celery ribs, diced*2 bell peppers, diced*2 cups plus 1 tablespoon canola oil*2 cups plus 1 tablespoon flour*2 bay leaves*2 sprigs thyme, plus more to taste*1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce*Salt and pepper, to taste*2 lbs. frozen okra*2 tablespoons D'Zo's salt-less Cajun seasoning*1 tablespoon hot sauce, plus more to taste--For the Broth--For a fabulous chicken/poultry broth primer, see previous post here*1 onion, quartered*5 garlic cloves, whole and peeled*1 piece of celery, quartered*2 bay leaves*8 quarts water (7.5 liters or 32 cups)
1.) Prep ingredients: Shred, cut, and/or cube first three ingredients (turkey, andouille, and tasso). Reserve for gumbo.
2.) Prep vegetables: Chop, mince, and dice next four ingredients. Reserve for gumbo.
3.) Make Roux: In a large cast iron skillet, whisk together equal parts canola oil and flour. Since you're making a Cajun roux, you'll need to spend extra time darkening the mixture—it should be dark brown (not "blond") when preparing your stock. Over medium heat, whisk roux until dark brown (about 30-45 minutes based on cooking temperature and roux preference; for an excellent primer on all things "different" when it comes to Cajun and Creole cooking, please see Jay Ducote's smart and succinct discussion of the two here).
Note: Wheaton advocates that since a traditional Cajun roux takes significantly longer to prepare (because of the time needed to deepen the roux's color and flavor), you can add the flour and oil to a cast iron skillet and place it in an oven set to 350F, walk away, and let the mixture cook for two hours. This process means "no hovering, stirring, or nothing!" Feel free to use this step if you wish to avoid hovering over the stove for an extended amount of time, or do as Carol did with the regular whisking method. Personally, I find the oven roux to be a huge time savor (in fact, this process is followed by the Gumbo Shop in New Orleans), but I also appreciate a dish that has a lot of love and attention go into it even if that means standing over a pot and stirring for some time.
4.) Prepare broth while roux is browning: Place turkey carcass (plus leftover meat) in a large pot of water with quartered onion, garlic cloves, quartered celery, 2 bay leaves, and 8 quarts water (7.5 liters or 32 cups). Bring to a boil and simmer for one and a half hours until the water is well infused and a foamy mixture covers the surface. Transfer meat to a bowl and cool. Pick meat and fat off turkey bones and reserve for gumbo. Discard bones.
5.) Strain broth and discard vegetable pieces. Remove fat from broth by using a gravy separator or the plastic bag method (Wheaten sums the plastic bag method up this way: 1 - transfer cooled broth to a large plastic freezer bag. 2 - when broth separates from fat, snip the tip of the bag off and pour broth into a pot or bowl (reserving it for the gumbo). 3 - keep fat in plastic bag and reserve for a later recipe.)
6.) In an over-sized soup pot, add 2 tablespoons butter or canola oil. Add onions and cook until tender or translucent (about 8-10 minutes). Add celery and bell pepper and cook for five minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and stir until fragrant (about 30 seconds to a 1 minute). Finally, add roux to pot, mix to integrate, and simmer on medium-low heat for five minutes.
7.) Assemble gumbo: Add turkey, andouille, and tasso to the pot. Sauté mixture for 10-15 minutes adding water or white wine if the mixture gets too thick and needs moisture. Slowly whisk in chicken broth to pot, add remaining bay leaves, thyme, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, Cajun seasoning, okra, and hot sauce. Cover pot and simmer for an hour. Taste and adjust spices as necessary (Carol added salt, pepper, Cajun seasoning, and extra hot sauce as needed).
Serving Size: makes 12 - 15 servings
Number of Servings: 15
Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user HELANAB86.
2.) Prep vegetables: Chop, mince, and dice next four ingredients. Reserve for gumbo.
3.) Make Roux: In a large cast iron skillet, whisk together equal parts canola oil and flour. Since you're making a Cajun roux, you'll need to spend extra time darkening the mixture—it should be dark brown (not "blond") when preparing your stock. Over medium heat, whisk roux until dark brown (about 30-45 minutes based on cooking temperature and roux preference; for an excellent primer on all things "different" when it comes to Cajun and Creole cooking, please see Jay Ducote's smart and succinct discussion of the two here).
Note: Wheaton advocates that since a traditional Cajun roux takes significantly longer to prepare (because of the time needed to deepen the roux's color and flavor), you can add the flour and oil to a cast iron skillet and place it in an oven set to 350F, walk away, and let the mixture cook for two hours. This process means "no hovering, stirring, or nothing!" Feel free to use this step if you wish to avoid hovering over the stove for an extended amount of time, or do as Carol did with the regular whisking method. Personally, I find the oven roux to be a huge time savor (in fact, this process is followed by the Gumbo Shop in New Orleans), but I also appreciate a dish that has a lot of love and attention go into it even if that means standing over a pot and stirring for some time.
4.) Prepare broth while roux is browning: Place turkey carcass (plus leftover meat) in a large pot of water with quartered onion, garlic cloves, quartered celery, 2 bay leaves, and 8 quarts water (7.5 liters or 32 cups). Bring to a boil and simmer for one and a half hours until the water is well infused and a foamy mixture covers the surface. Transfer meat to a bowl and cool. Pick meat and fat off turkey bones and reserve for gumbo. Discard bones.
5.) Strain broth and discard vegetable pieces. Remove fat from broth by using a gravy separator or the plastic bag method (Wheaten sums the plastic bag method up this way: 1 - transfer cooled broth to a large plastic freezer bag. 2 - when broth separates from fat, snip the tip of the bag off and pour broth into a pot or bowl (reserving it for the gumbo). 3 - keep fat in plastic bag and reserve for a later recipe.)
6.) In an over-sized soup pot, add 2 tablespoons butter or canola oil. Add onions and cook until tender or translucent (about 8-10 minutes). Add celery and bell pepper and cook for five minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and stir until fragrant (about 30 seconds to a 1 minute). Finally, add roux to pot, mix to integrate, and simmer on medium-low heat for five minutes.
7.) Assemble gumbo: Add turkey, andouille, and tasso to the pot. Sauté mixture for 10-15 minutes adding water or white wine if the mixture gets too thick and needs moisture. Slowly whisk in chicken broth to pot, add remaining bay leaves, thyme, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, Cajun seasoning, okra, and hot sauce. Cover pot and simmer for an hour. Taste and adjust spices as necessary (Carol added salt, pepper, Cajun seasoning, and extra hot sauce as needed).
Serving Size: makes 12 - 15 servings
Number of Servings: 15
Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user HELANAB86.
Nutritional Info Amount Per Serving
- Calories: 950.2
- Total Fat: 90.0 g
- Cholesterol: 100.8 mg
- Sodium: 1,686.9 mg
- Total Carbs: 12.0 g
- Dietary Fiber: 2.4 g
- Protein: 26.0 g
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