Jimbo’s Gumbo

(Gumbo, by definition, is “okra stew” but, ironically, there is no okra in my recipe because I only like fried okra. Feel free to add okra when you’re cooking. It’s your pot, throw in what you like. It should, however, include the Cajun Trinity: onion, bell pepper and celery.)

Ingredients:
1 medium onion, chopped
½ cup green onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
½ cup celery, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, chopped

2 Quarts of water
½ cup of oil
½ cup of flour

16oz. can of stewed tomatoes
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 tsp. black pepper (feel free to add more red and black pepper if you like it kickin’)
2 Tbsp. Worcestershire Sauce
1 bay leaf

1 pound boiled chicken, pulled
1 pound smoked sausage, sliced
1 pound shrimp
1 Tbsp. filé

Putting It All Together:
1. Sauté onions, bell pepper, celery and garlic.

2. Make a dark brown roux by heating ½ cup oil in a large Dutch oven and once hot, add just a little flour at a time, while stirring. When you’ve added all the flour and it’s nice and brown then slowly add the 2 quarts of water, keep stirring!

3. Add the sautéed onions, bell pepper, celery, garlic and stewed tomatoes to the roux and cook for about 15 minutes.

4. Next, toss in your salt, red cayenne and black pepper, Worcestershire sauce and bay leaf (not necessarily in that order) and simmer for two hours.

5. Now add your chicken, sausage and shrimp, and simmer for 20 minutes.

6. Remove from the heat and slowly stir in the filé.

(Fix it a day ahead of time and let it “sit up” in the fridge overnight for added kick.)
Serve over steamed rice. Feel free to add as much Tabasco Sauce® as you desire.