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Last month we took a trip to New Orleans & went to the New Orleans School of Cooking for a class. Here’s the Gumbo recipe we got from Chef Kevin Belton, along with a few additonal notes that he passed on:

GUMBO
INGREDIENTS:
1 C. oil
1 chicken, cut up or de-boned
1 & 1/2 lbs. Andouille Sausage
1 C. flour
TRINITY: (Next three items)
4 C. chopped onions
2 C. chopped celery
2 C. chopped green pepper
1 Tbsp. chopped garlic
8 C. stock or flavored water
2 C. chopped green onions
Cooked Rice
Joe’s Stuff seasoning
Gumbo File’ *

PROCEDURE:
Season and brown chicken in oil (lard, bacon drippings) over medium heat. Add sausage to pot and sauté with chicken. Remove both from pot.

Make a roux with equal parts of oil (must be free of food particles to avoid burning) and flour. (Note: do not use olive oil. Any other oil is fine.) Oil should be smoking hot before adding flour, & roux must be whisked continuously to keep from scorching. Make sure it gets to a shade approximating milk chocolate.

Add onions, celery, and green pepper. Add garlic to the mixture and stir continuously. After vegetables reach desired tenderness, return chicken and sausage to pot and cook with vegetables, continuing to stir frequently. Gradually stir in liquid and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer and cook for an hour or more. Season to taste with Joe’s Stuff Seasoning.

Approximately 10 minutes before serving, add green onions. Serve gumbo over rice or without rice, accompanied by French bread.

*File’ - A fine green powder of young dried ground sassafras leaves, used in gumbo for flavor and thickening. It may be placed on the table for individuals to add to their gumbo if they wish. 1/4 to 1/2 tsp. per serving is recommended.

Note: Okra is a traditional ingredient to Gumbo, but some people avoid it due to the slimey texture. To remove sliminess, sauté in oil or butter with a dash of vinegar.

By the way, this makes a BIG pot of Gumbo - 15 - 20 servings.