Gumbo takes a really really long time to make. It tastes sooo good it is worth it. My favorite part is that it can be made in giant batches. It freezes really well to made several quick dinners by warming it and making fresh rice. It makes a great easy dinner for weeknights, after babies are born, and for winter camping trips.
This batch and the portions I used made 4-5 batches of 2-3 bowls each. That is a LOT of gumbo.
3 green bell peppers, diced
6 celery stalks, diced
1 large onion, diced
7 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup dark roux
2 tablespoons butter
4 bone in chicken thighs, smoked
2 pounds andouille sausage links, smoked
10-16 ounces crab claw meat
5 bay leaves
2 teaspoon thyme
12-14 cups chicken broth
1-2 teaspoons paprika
6 large pods okra
2 tablespoons gumbo file
1 cup chopped fresh parsley
chopped green onions to garnish
My dark roux.
Melt the butter in large soup pot on medium heat. Add the celery, onion, and pepper. Cook until soft about 10-12 minutes.
Once they are soft add the garlic and then stir in the roux. Add the chicken broth. Add the thyme, paprika and bay leaves. Add the chopped up chicken and sausage. Add the okra. I use giant firm pods and put them in whole. Once the okra opens, I remove the pod and leave the seeds.
Cover and cook for 1-2 hours.
Just before serving, add the crab meat and gumbo file. Remove the bay leaves and okra. Add in fresh chopped parsley.
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Serve with white rice, corn bread, and green onions.
To freeze this, I let it cool fully and then place smaller portions into ziploc freezer bags without rice. When warming it, sometimes I add a bit of water. Also, this is when we add shrimp if we are going to. The shrimp does not freeze well.
The Funky Oven 