My family is Creole...This is our family recipe. It's different from the New Orleans style gumbo...New Orleans style gumbo has more Spanish and African influence to it. This has more of a French influence.
Grandmas Chicken Gumbo
Make a dark roux with 2 cups of flour and some oil.
(You can buy ready made roux but homemade is the best)
1-1/2 gallons water
1 large hen (I usually use a rooster for this I think they make the best gumbo)
6 chicken bullion cubes
2 pounds of good smoked sausage (Cut into bite size pieces)
1 large onion (Chopped)
1 bell pepper
2 tablespoons liquid smoke (leave this out if using smoked meat)
4 cloves of garlic
1/2 bunch parsley (chopped)
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 3 hours (if your using a rooster...a hen will take less time) or until chicken is tender and falling off the bone, 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. Wild game works very well, squirrels, ducks, geese, rabbits, turkey, quail, pheasant. Just make sure to simmer it long enough to get it tender.
Serve over rice in soup bowls.
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Seafood Gumbo
1 cup flour and enough oil to make a dark roux
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
2 tablespoons liquid crab boil (more if you like it spicy)
1 gallon water
2 lb. Shrimp ~peeled & de-veined
1 lb. Large scallops
2 lb. Frozen ~meat only~ craw fish tails
2 lb. Mild flavored white fish ~ such as Pollock or Talipa
(chopped into 1 in. cubes)
In a large gumbo pot bring 1 gallon of water to a boil.
In a large skillet make your roux; when the roux is as dark as you like it add the onion, bell pepper, and celery until they are tender. Add the garlic and saute until you start to smell it; add this mixture to the water in the gumbo pot and whisk to blend.
Add the tomatoes, parsley, green onions, tomato sauce, water, crab boil, and chicken bullion. Bring back to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer, cook for 45 minutes.
Add the okra and bring back to a boil, simmer for 30 minutes.
Add seafood bring back to a boil; simmer for 1 minute then turn the fire off under the pot, cover with a lid and allow to stand for 15 to 20 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings.
