National Gumbo Day

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Chef Diane

Goodbye joe, me gotta go down the bayou

Me gotta go, pole the pirogue down the bayou

My yvonne, sweetest one, me oh my oh

Son of a gun, we gonna have big fun on the bayou

Well, jambalaya an a crawfish pie an a file gumbo

cause tonight Im gonna see my ma cher amio

Pick guitar, fill fruit jar an be gay-o

Son of a gun, we gonna have big fun on the bayou

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This is a song by Hank Williams, and every time I hear it it makes me think of fall weather and a big pot of Gumbo.  Gumbo is a cajun dish from Louisiana.  It’s one of their specialty dishes like New England Clam Chowder is to Maine, or Chili is to Texas.  Gumbo is not only used to describe this tasty dish, but also the consistency of the mud on the roads you drive through.  Gumbo is a seafood soup or stew.  It can be made with shrimp and sausage, or chicken and crab, or any other meat you care to use.  Some people put chicken bones and all in it, others put crab legs in the shell in it.  I prefer to use shelled shrimp and Smokey hollow sausage.  I don’t want to have to dip stuff out and shell it or take out bones when I eat.  Below is my grandmother's Gumbo recipe.  The most important part is the Roux.  A roux is the mixture of shortening and flour used to make the base.  It has the consistency of gravy.  This recipe calls for 2 TBSP or shorting, but you will need more.  You want the roux to be liquid like, not too loose, but not thick either.  And you have to brown it until it’s almost black.  This will take about 15 to 20 minutes, or you can buy roux in a bottle (if you want to cheat) Once the roux is made, the rest is simple...just add to a pot and let it cook.  Gumbo is even better the next day.  Then serve it in a bowl full of rice, with crackers or cornbread.  It will fill you up and warm up your insides!

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Today is National Gumbo day, so try this or your own recipe, and serve some to your family for supper.  You will have big Fun!!

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Gumbo

Ingredients:

2/3 C Flour	3-4 pods Garlic
2 TBS Shortening	2 tsp. File’
1 Can Rotel Tomatoes	salt& pepper
1 Pk. Okra	1 lb. Sausage
1 lrg. Onion	3 lbs. shrimp
2 stalks celery

Directions:

Brown flour and shortening until real dark, almost black add more shortening if needed...to make a paste – add onions, garlic, and celery and sauté. Spread roux to sides and put okra in center and add Rotel tomatoes. Stir until okra loses its slick. Let cook 15-20 minutes and add sausage. Put mixture into 2 quarts of boiling water and add shrimp. Let cook 20 minutes then add file’. (optional)  Serve over rice.

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