Grandma's Chicken Gumbo

[BettyR]

I made this for supper last night using one of my excess roosters....it's one of the best ways to use a spent hen or an excess rooster. Chicken and dumplings is hard to beat but if I had to choose I'd say gumbo is the tops.

Grandma’s Chicken Gumbo

Make a dark roux with 2 cups of flour and about 1 cup of oil.
(You can buy ready made roux but homemade is the best, if you want to make you own but don't know how...Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the oil and flour into a 5 to 6-quart cast iron Dutch oven and whisk together to combine. Place on the middle shelf of the oven, uncovered, and bake for 1 1/2 hours, whisking 2 to 3 times throughout the cooking process.)

1 gallons water
1 large hen (an old hen makes the best gumbo)
6 chicken bullion cubes
1 pound of good smoked sausage (Cut into bite size pieces)
1 large onion (Chopped)
1 bell pepper (Chopped)
2 stalks celery (Chopped)
3 tablespoons liquid smoke (leave this out if using smoked meat)
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons onion powder
2 tablespoons dried parsley flakes
1 bunch green onions (chopped)
Salt and pepper to taste

Cut the chicken in half and place it in a large stockpot with the water and the rest of the ingredients. Simmer uncovered for a couple of hours, or until chicken is tender, remove the chicken from the pot place it in a bowl and put it in the refrigerator to cool. Turn the fire off under the pot, allow to sit while chicken is cooling, all the fat will rise to the top.

With a large spoon skim fat off the top of the gumbo.

Pick the chicken off the bone and add it back to the pot and heat it through; season with salt and pepper to taste.

You can substitute just about anything for the chicken. Guinea foul and wild game works very well, squirrels, ducks, geese, rabbits, turkey, quail, pheasant, ect. Just make sure to simmer it long enough to get it tender.

Serve over rice in soup bowls.

 

[KenK]

I do like the gumbo, try to make it at least once every winter. I think I never got around to it last year. : (

 

[BettyR]

Once a winter? I could never survive having gumbo just once a year. I think once a month is stretching it.

I love gumbo and there are so many things that you can put in gumbo and make them really good that would other wise hardly be edible....like oysters.

You could put oysters in this and you could eat them and not get sick...

Seafood Gumbo

Make a dark roux with 2 cups of flour and about 1 cup of oil.
(You can buy ready made roux but homemade is the best, if you want to make you own but don't know how...Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the oil and flour into a 5 to 6-quart cast iron Dutch oven and whisk together to combine. Place on the middle shelf of the oven, uncovered, and bake for 1 1/2 hours, whisking 2 to 3 times throughout the cooking process.)

3 tablespoons olive oil
8 cloves garlic (minced)
2 large onions (chopped)
1 large bell pepper (chopped)
4 large ribs celery (chopped)
2-14oz cans diced tomatoes
1-8oz can tomato sauce
2-10oz packages frozen okra
1 bunch parsley ~leaves only~ (chopped)
1 bunch green onions (chopped)
2 tablespoons chicken bullion
1 tablespoon liquid crab boil
1 gallon water
2 lb. Shrimp ~peeled & de-veined
2 lb. Frozen ~meat only~ craw fish tails
2 lb. Mild flavored white fish (chopped in 1 in. cubes)

In a large gumbo pot heat the olive oil and sauté the onion, bell pepper, and celery until they are tender.

Add the garlic and sauté until you start to smell it.

Add the tomatoes, parsley, green onions, tomato sauce, water, roux, crab boil, and chicken bullion. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer, and cook uncovered for 45 minutes.

Add the okra and bring back to a boil, simmer for 45 minutes.

Add seafood bring back to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings.

 

[KenK]

Betty, I need to put a picture of me and my wife on here so you (hopefully) don't shoot us when we show up for supper one night.

I watched Justin Wilson on public television when I was a teenager and had all his cook books. Him an John Folse.

Oysters? I sure wish I had about four or five dozen raw, ice cold, Louisiana oysters right now.

 

[redhen]

 

[BettyR]

Quote:
You know what they say in Cajun country...there is always room for one more at the table....in this case two.

I was born in New Orleans, I grew up eating almost every kind of seafood you can imagine but I could never stomach oysters. It's like eating sea water and snot...but gumbo can make even oysters taste good.

Yeah, I used to watch Justin Wilson with my Mom, she loved watching his show. Man does that bring back some memories... I haven't been back to New Orleans since Katrina but friends tell me it's just not the same place that is was. I guess something like that is going to change a place forever. I think I will just keep my fond memories and stay in Texas....I really like it here.

 

[chicken pickin]

I know this is a super old thread but I had to post. I was searching for a Gumbo reciepe and found yours. I have extra roosters that were just processed and Im going to use one to make some rooster gumbo either today or tomorrow. I have no clue how to make it so thanks for posting the reciepe I cant wait to try it.

 

[bigmike&nan]

Doggone Betty, was surely pleased to see this recipe that you topped...
Hope all is well with you and yours.

BigMike

 

[BettyR]

I know this is a super old thread but I had to post. I was searching for a Gumbo reciepe and found yours. I have extra roosters that were just processed and Im going to use one to make some rooster gumbo either today or tomorrow. I have no clue how to make it so thanks for posting the reciepe I cant wait to try it.

I hope you will enjoy it, it's one of our all time favorites.

Doggone Betty, was surely pleased to see this recipe that you topped...
Hope all is well with you and yours.

BigMike

We are doing fine, my son is recovering from an extended illness and doing great. He was bed bound for almost 3 years and has recovered enough that he is up and out of his wheel chair and doing great. I couldn't be happier. Hope y'all are doing well.

 

[bachbach1]

I will have to try that recipe, it looks good, I love gumbo. Have you ever made it with turkey. I have several quart jars of smoked turkey I am trying to use before it gets old.