| I am going to give you my gumbo recipe. I learned to | | | | stewed tomatoes 1 small can tomato sauce 2 (10oz.) |
| cook from my mother and grandmother who were | | | | Frozen cut okra, thawed 2 tblsp. White vinegar 1 or 2 |
| born and raised in New Orleans and really knew how | | | | lbs. of lump crabmeat 3 lbs. shrimp 2 Tbsp. |
| to cook. Most of the time, you could not get them to | | | | Worcestershire sauce |
| write down their recipes because they used a "pinch" | | | | ROUX: Add flour to 3/4 cup melted bacon grease in |
| of this and "just enough of that" and "two fingers of | | | | large heavy skillet and stir well to blend. Cook this over |
| water" and so on. This recipe is a combination of both | | | | low medium heat stirring constantly until it becomes a |
| of their recipes which I have added to over the years. | | | | dark mahogany rich brown color. This will take 20 to |
| My brother cooks his gumbo a little different than mine | | | | 30 minutes and it must be watched continuously and |
| and like all good cooks; he will tell you his is better. | | | | you must continue to stir until finished or flour will burn. |
| You need a large pot. I like to use Magnalite brand pots | | | | Alternate method of preparing Roux: I take the flour |
| which are what my mother always used for | | | | and brown it on a high fire while stirring constantly until |
| everything. I have cooked gumbo in other types of | | | | it is a rich brown. I make the roux by then adding the |
| pots and it still tastes good. The magic of any good | | | | brown flour to the bacon grease and then I just add |
| Creole dish is the "roux". This is flour which is browned | | | | the processed vegetables. I use brown flour a lot in |
| to a rich mahogany color. A lot of people try making | | | | gravies and soups so I have a big container of brown |
| the roux while they are cooking the vegetables in the | | | | flour always available. (My mother browns 5 lbs. of |
| bacon grease. My mother taught me to brown the | | | | flour in advance in her oven and then keeps it in the |
| flour first and then you can add it as you cook your | | | | freezer for whenever she needs it. Both methods of |
| gumbo. The advantage is you don't have to worry | | | | making a roux work well but you just have to make |
| about burning all your seasonings and you don't have | | | | sure it is good and rich brown. |
| to watch everything as closely. | | | | VEGETABLES: Process the onion, celery, bell pepper, |
| She would take a five pound bag of flour and brown it | | | | and garlic in a food processor. Add sausage and the |
| in a flat pan in the oven. This is only good for people | | | | processed ingredients to the roux and cook for 10 to |
| who do a lot of cooking and even I don't cook that | | | | 15 minutes, stirring constantly to saute the vegetables. |
| much. I take a large Teflon frying pan and put in a cup | | | | Set this aside. |
| or two of flour and under a medium to high heat | | | | BOIL WATER: While preparing the roux and |
| slowly brown the flour. I constantly stir the four with a | | | | vegetables start the 3 quarts water to boiling in a large |
| spoon or spatula and it will brown quite nicely in a | | | | Dutch oven or Gumbo pot at least 6 Qt. Size. Add |
| matter of ten minutes or less. You can get it as brown | | | | beef bouillon to boiling water to create a beef broth. |
| as you want and if it burns, you have not wasted all | | | | Combine roux mixture to boiling broth and stir. Reduce |
| your seasoning. Actually there are a lot of gravy and | | | | heat and add bay leaves, thyme, tomatoes, tomato |
| roux mixes on the market now and they work quite | | | | sauce, sugar, salt, Tony's seasoning, and Tabasco to |
| well as a roux so you can substitute that if you like. A | | | | boiling mixture. Simmer on low heat for 1 hour. At the |
| brand named Tony Chacherie's is a good choice. I buy | | | | 45 minute mark, add 2 teaspoons file to gumbo and |
| a large container of gravy mix at Sam's when I am | | | | stir. |
| feeling lazy. This would not meet with my mother or | | | | OKRA: While the gumbo is cooking, cook the okra in a |
| grandmother's approval however. | | | | large frying pan with the 2-tablespoon of vinegar for |
| Here is the recipe and Bon Apetit. Creole Gumbo | | | | about 15 or 20 minutes. Drain the fat off the okra and |
| Recipe shared by Edgar M. Dapremont Jr. | | | | set aside. |
| 1c. Chopped celery 1 large onion, chopped 1 large green | | | | CRABMEAT, SHRIMP, OKRA: After the gumbo has |
| bell pepper, chopped 4 tsp. File (if you can't get this, it | | | | been cooking for about 1 hour, add crabmeat, shrimp, |
| will still be a very good gumbo) 2 toes minced or | | | | okra, and Worcestershire sauce. Cook for about 45 |
| chopped garlic 1 cup of all purpose flour 3/4 cup bacon | | | | minutes more after adding these last ingredients. At |
| grease 1 lb. Andouille sausage (a Cajun sausage) - if | | | | the end add 2 more teaspoons of file. |
| you can't get this use a good smoked sausage 1 tbsp. | | | | Serve over rice. |
| Sugar 1/8 cc Tabasco 1/2 teaspoon Tony Chachere's | | | | Comments from Edgar: The gumbo can be frozen or |
| seasoning 3 Qt. Water 6 beef bouillon cubes 4 bay | | | | refrigerated and many people like it better the next |
| leaves 1/2 tsp. Dried leaf thyme 1(14 1/2-oz.) can | | | | day. Bon Apetit! |