It's Gumbo Time

In the early 1990s, I went to New Orleans with a friend who was traveling there on business. We experienced the sights and sounds and some of the rich history of the region. It was interesting, strange and exciting all at the same time. If you've ever been to NOLA, you know what I mean. I've never been to another place quite like it. It was the first (and to date, the last) time an entire shrimp complete with antennae and eyes was served to me at dinner.

Not long after, other friends went to NOLA. Part of their adventure included taking a cooking class and upon their return, we decided we needed to make gumbo. Gumbo is best enjoyed with friends, so we decided to throw a Mardi Gras Party. Lots of good memories from that party, including thinking we didn't have enough food so we needed a last-minute run to pick up frozen appetizers to round out the food offerings and the gumbo running out before the chefs got to enjoy any. We borrowed industrial gas heaters to help keep the garage warm in February.

Thus was born an almost annual gumbo-making tradition (we have missed a year or two, but not many). It seems like every year we tweak the recipe a little bit and each year the taste varies, but this year - I'm not sure how we did it - we didn't do any tweaking. It was delish from the start. When we started this gumbo endeavor, it seemed to be an all afternoon affair. Somehow we've wised up and we make it in much less time. Whoever is hosting gets the chicken cooking and that cuts some time from the process.

Here's our top-secret recipe. Warning: It's not anything like traditional NOLA gumbo with sausage and okra; it really is a customized version, but oh-so-good.

Natalie & Elizabeth's Gourmet Gucci Gumbo

5 lbs. boneless chicken breast (7 lbs. bone-in, which makes a more flavorful broth)
Celery
2 onions
2T shrimp boil
2T poultry seasoning
1t salt
1/2t pepper
Bay leaf
1T oil
2T Cajun seasonings
Parsley
1/3c flour
1/3 stick butter
3 cloves minced garlic
Large can of chicken broth (48 oz.)
28 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 cup salsa (this year we used an entire jar of medium)
5 drops hot sauce (or more - this year we used 5 shakes and it was perfect)
1t thyme
2 bell peppers, cut in pieces
2 lbs. shrimp
Rice

Cook chicken in a large pot (leave some fat on) with one onion (cut in large pieces), one stalk of celery, shrimp boil, poultry seasonings, salt, pepper, bay leaf, oil, Cajun seasonings and parsley. When finished, remove chicken and strain stock. Have your sous chef shred the chicken because this is a job you don't want to do yourself! (Note: I used to be the sous chef, but I've been promoted so now everyone is an eligible chicken shredder.)

Make a dry roux by heating a skillet and adding 1/2c flour. Keep mixing flour until it turns milk chocolate brown. Sift into bowl and set aside.

Chop one onion and two stalks of celery. Brown with 1/3 stick of butter and garlic. Add 1/2 cup of canned chicken broth and cook until most of the liquid evaporates. Add 3/4 cup of broth and the roux. Cook until mixed together. Will be very thick.

In large pot, combine broths, tomatoes, salsa, remaining seasonings, chicken and roux mixture and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 1.5 to 2 hours (Note: this length of time is not necessary.) Add peppers about 45 minutes before serving and shrimp about 15 minutes before you're ready to serve.

Serve over cheap rice. (We laugh every time, but this is how we wrote the recipe and we've never used anything but cheap, white rice for our Gucci gumbo.)

Serves 24 and freezes well.