Thursday, September 15, 2011

Making up for the NFC South's Terrible Week 1: GUMBO!

So, in light of the NFC South's terrible opening week (all four teams lost), I thought I should feast on something to remind me of how much I love the South...Gumbo.

Starting out with about a pound of andoille sausage, sliced into about 1/4 inch pieces in the pan, brown until fully cooked.  Once cooked drain off about 2/3's of the drippings, then add 1 cup of the trinity (1/4 inch diced celery, onion, bell pepper), a teaspoon of finely diced or crushed garlic and brown in sausage drippings.

For the shrimp I used a pound of 21-25 count, (a little larger than I desired, but they were on sale!), heavily seasoned with Zataran's Creole seasoning.  PS, I de-veined/shelled/tailed the little basterds before seasoning.

Once the trinity is tender, add in the shrimp, and cook until bright pink.  Once the shrimp are done, add in a cup of water, and a cup of stock.  Because of availability in my fridge, I used chicken, but pork or shrimp stock would do fine.  Once the liquids start to boil, add in your thickener.

Being the good southern man that I am, I chose to use okra.  Okra is a plant that's seed pod (the part you eat) produces mucilage, a soluble fiber that in a neutral pH will cause it's surroundings to thicken.  If you prefer otherwise, a simple  blond roux will suffice.

I added in about a cup of okra and simmered for another 45 minutes, and I had a great looking stew that was just thick enough to cover the back of the spoon.

I served it up over a bowl of rice, with a side of Kings Hawaiian Sweet-rolls, and voila!

Best part about this meal is that it can be easily customized, a variety of seafood or meats and veggies can be added, chilies for more heat etc.  If you ever find yourself exploring the cuisine of New Orleans, please do drop me a line and tell me what you think!
Thats all folks!

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