Gumbo
Author: Alex Recker
A traditional cajun gumbo recipe, courtesy of the great Isaac Toups. I highly recommend the instructional video he made for Munchies, he's a delight to learn from.
Materials
- vegetable oil (3 tbsp)
- flour (3 tbsp)
- celery, diced (1/4 cup)
- green bell pepper, diced (1/4 cup)
- white onion, diced (1/2 cup)
- garlic, chopped (6-8 cloves)
- light beer (1 bottle)
- chicken stock (2 cups)
- sausage, diced (1/2 cup)
- chicken thighs, boneless (4)
- bay leaves (3)
- salt
- pepper
- cilantro (garnish)
- rice OR orzo
Procedure
- Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper. Brush them with a little bit of oil and leave them on a stainless steel pan under the broiler for 20 minutes. Remove the chicken and de-glaze with a splash of beer. Slice the chicken and set aside with the juices.
- Add vegetable oil to a heavy bottom cast iron pan and turn the heat on high. Add flour. Whisk constantly and thoroughly as a dark roux forms.
- When the roux is the color of Hershey's chocolate (yes, really), turn the heat down to medium high and add the celery, peppers, and onions. Add a pinch of salt. Continue to stir with the whisk.
- When the onions turn translucent, add the garlic and stir. Turn the heat to high and add a half of a beer.
- When the alcohol has burned off, add the chicken stock, sausage, sliced chicken, and bay leaves.
- Bring to a boil, then turn the heat down to a gentle simmer. Skim fat off the top.
- Add thirty cracks of fresh black pepper.
- Cover and leave to simmer for an hour.
- Add salt to the gumbo to taste.
At this point, you have the option of just serving this with a tuft of cilantro leaves over white rice or adding some orzo pasta. The pasta route is great because it adds a lot of comforting silkiness to the broth. For orzo pasta:
- Dump in the pasta. Stir it every few minutes to keep it from sticking to the bottom.
- Serve when the orzo is tender.