Creole Gumbo

Chef Amanda Vasquez from Ida Claire joins Good Day to celebrate National Gumbo Day. She makes a creole gumbo with chicken, andouille and basmati rice.

Dark Roux

3 cups Bacon Fat
4½ lbs Butter, unsalted  
6 cups Flour, All Purpose
4 tsp Kosher Salt

Preset oven to 350F. Combine all ingredients in a large sauce pot over medium heat to melt butter and bacon fat. Once melted, transfer to a roasting pan and cook for 4 hours until dark brown. Set aside to use in Gumbo.

Gumbo Stock

1 bag Crab Boil
6 each Arbol Chiles
6 each Bay Leaves
4 cups Shrimp Shells, toasted in an oven
2  gallons Chicken Stock
8 lbs Chicken Thighs, uncooked

In a large pot, bring chicken stock, arbol chiles, and crab boil bag to a boil. Add chicken thighs to stock and poach chicken thighs for 10 minutes until cooked through.Remove chicken and strain the pot, saving the stock and discarding the shrimp shells and spices. Once chicken has cooled, pull the chicken into large chunks and set aside to add to gumbo.

Basmati Rice

2 cups Basmati Rice
5 cups  Water
¼ lb Butter, unsalted and melted
1 TBSP Kosher Salt

Combine basmati rice and water in a sauce pot and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cover pot with foil until rice is cooked through and no water remains. Transfer  cooked rice to a large bowl and add butter and salt. Combine thoroughly and set aside to enjoy with your gumbo.

Creole Gumbo

5 lbs Andouille Sausage, cut into 1" rings
½  cup Flour, All Purpose
4 oz. can Tomato Paste
1 quart Poblano, large dice, ¾"
1 quart Celery, large dice, ¾"
2 quart Yellow Onions, large dice, ¾"
¼  cup Blackening Spice
½ cup Kosher Salt
½  cup Gumbo File Powder
½ cup Minced Garlic
1 batch Dark Roux
¾ cup Tabasco
1/3 cup Worcestershire
8 cups Canned Crushed Tomatoes
4 lbs Okra, sliced into Rings
8 lbs Chicken Thighs, poached and pulled (see above)

In a second pot, sauté Andouille sausage for 5 minutes. Add  flour and tomato paste to andouille and sauté for 10 minutes. Add onions, peppers, celery, garlics, gumbo  file powder, salt and blackening spice and sauté for 15 minutes.

Whisk in your Shrimp/Chicken stock from cooking the thighs. Whisk in Roux,  tabasco, Worcestershire, and canned tomatoes stirring until roux is fully incorporated. Simmer for 20 minutes.

Transfer okra and chicken thighs to the pot and bring back to a boil. Reduce to a simmer for 20 minutes skimming excess fat. Enjoy immediately with Basmati Rice.