The Trinity--you can't make gumbo without it.
Gumbo is a hearty soup that’s become the cornerstone of Cajun cuisine. There are countless recipes and variations, but it consists of a thick soup served over a mound of rice. The word gumbo is derived from the Bantu word kingumbo, which means “okra.”
I learned to cook Gumbo at the New Orleans School of Cooking, located in the French Quarter. The classes are part cooking demonstration and part stand-up comedy. And best of all, you get to eat the results. This is the gumbo recipe they taught. It doesn’t include okra, though you could add it if you wish. It does include “the trinity”: onions, celery and green pepper, because you can’t cook gumbo without it. You can vary the meat in this dish, but I like the andouille.
Gumbo
1 cup oil
1 chicken, cut up or boned
1 ½ lbs. andouille sausage
1 cut flour
4 cups chopped onions
2 cups chopped celery
2 cups chopped green pepper
1 Tblsp chopped garlic
8 cups stock or water with bouillon
Salt
Cayenne pepper
1 cup chopped green onions
1 cup chopped parsley
Season and brown chicken in oil (or lard, bacon drippings) over medium high heat. Add sausage to pot and sauté with chicken. Remove both to a holding dish.
Filter rendered fat. Make a roux with equal parts fat and flour. When the roux turns nutty brown color, add trinity and garlic. Stir roux until vegetables are tender.
Bring stock to boil separately. Add roux with vegetables, chicken, and sausage to pot and bring it to a boil. Reduce to simmer and cook for an hour more. Season to taste.
Approximately 10 minutes before serving, add green onion and parsley. Gumbo can be served over rice.
Note: For seafood gumbo, use seafood stock and substitute fresh seafood for the chicken and andouille.
For a look at the New Orleans school of Cooking, see this video.
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