Gumbo

Yesterday being Fat Tuesday, I made gumbo. Gumbo is one of the easiest things to make, but it tastes like it's hard. There is one neat secret I learned from Alton Brown; more about that later. First, the ingredients.

1 cup flour
1 cup vegetable oil
2 cups chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
10 cups chicken broth or stock
1 pound or more skinless chicken breasts, cut into cubes
1 pound andouille sausage, cut into 1/2 inch slices
1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
8 ounces raw oysters
Cayenne pepper
Ground thyme
a bay leaf

The key to a good gumbo is the roux. A roux is a mixture of flour and fat, usually oil or butter. Roux come in different colors from white to dark brown. Roux are used to thicken sauces and the lighter the color of the roux the more thickening power of the roux.

Most recipes call for you to mix the flour and the oil and continually stir the roux until it reaches a dark brown color. The problem with that method is that if you get distracted or the phone rings or you spy a UFO out the window and take you eyes off the roux it can burn and if you find specks of burned roux, you have to throw it out. It will taste awful. Here's Alton Brown's secret method: mix the roux on the stove, then pop it in a 425 degree oven and let it be. It will take about 30-40 minutes, but you don't have to mess with it. And it doesn't burn! It's the indirect heat that is the key. So, do that with the oil and the flour and cook it until the roux is dark, chocolate brown.

Meanwhile, sprinkle the chicken and the shrimp with cayenne pepper and chop up the veggies.

Then, take the pot out of the oven and put it on the stove over medium low heat. Add in the onion, celery and green pepper (the holy trinity). SAFETY NOTE: YOU ARE ADDING STUFF TO BASICALLY HOT OIL. IT'S LIKELY TO SPLATTER! BE CAREFUL. Cook the trinity until it is soft.

Add the chicken stock, the chicken and the thyme and bay leaf. Let that cook for about an hour or so. Then add the sausage. Cook for another 30 minutes or so. Right before serving, throw in the shrimp, cook for 2 minutes. Then, before serving, throw in the oysters.

Done. Serve it over rice and good bread. And, of course, with a Turbo Dog.