Gumbo

Intro

Classic New Orleans Stew; great in the fall and winter with the okra harvest. Variations are welcome; consider doing only seafood, for instance. Try a version with assorted mushrooms. The two vital pieces are the roux and the okra. If your roux burns, start it again. Only use fresh okra, never frozen, for this. Serve this with fresh white rice on top and some minced scallions.

Directions

1. Slice the chicken breasts into pieces about the size of your pinky. Slice the andouille sausage.
2. Heat a large dutch oven or cast iron pot, and begin to sear the meat, going in batches if needed. In a separate smaller pot, bring the stock up to a boil, then down to a low simmer.
3. In the meantime, dice all the vegetables together. Optionally, add any hot peppers here.
4. Remove the meat from the pot, and stir in the veggies. Lower the heat to low, and let the vegetables slowly soften.
5. In a separate pan, make your roux. Add the oil to the pan over medium heat. As it heats, mix in the flour. Stir constantly to incorporate the flour into your roux, making sure that no flour is allowed to sink to the bottom and burn. A rubber spatula is ideal for this.
6. The roux will turn from white, to blond, to caramel, to a nutty brown, to a dark brown. This can take 10-20 minutes, depending on how hot your pan is. (!!WARNING!!: The roux at this point is hotter than the boiling point of water. It is hot enough to cause second-degree burns. Be careful,)
7. Once the roux is the appropriate dark brown color, turn the heat off but continue stirring until it cools down a little.
8. Return the meat to the large pot and pour in the roux, using the spatula to assist. Mix everything with the roux carefully and thoroughly. In a few moments, it should thicken drastically. Pour in the stock, enough to cover everything, and stir.
9. Continue stirring, on high heat, until everything is incorporated. It should slightly thicken from the roux. Once it boils, bring it down to a simmer. Simmer for 1 hour.
10. In the meantime, slice your okra into centimeter thick pieces, discarding the stems. After 1 hour, add the okra into the gumbo.
11. Open the can of crushed tomatoes, and add that into the pot as well. Bring to a boil once again, and simmer for another hour.
12. Once it’s ready, turn the heat off and mix in all the clean, peeled shrimp. The shrimp will cook in the residual heat within 5 minutes.