Tailgate Gumbo

Ingredients:

 2 lbs. Shrimp uncooked, peeled & deveined (reserved tails and shells for stock)

1 lb.  chicken boneless, skinless, cooked, and diced

2 lbs. Andouille Sausage (1 ½ lbs sliced thin and ½ lb. finely chopped)

1 cup flour

1 cup vegetable oil

6 cups shrimp stock (recipe below)

4 cups chicken stock

2 large onions diced

2 Green Peppers diced

4 celery stalks diced

1 lb. Bag of sliced Okra (frozen)

¼ cup fresh parsley chopped

6 cloves of garlic finely diced

1 tsp. Gumbo File Seasoning

1 tsp. Old Bay Seasoning

4 Bay Leaves

1 sprig fresh Thyme

½ tsp. Dried Oregano

½ tsp. Cayenne Pepper

Your favorite hot sauce to taste

Plain cooked rice to serve with Gumbo

Pre-heat a large stock pot over medium to high heat. Add oil to stock pot and heat until oil begins to smoke.  Gradually add flour to oil, whisking continuously.  After all the flour has been added you will continue to cook and whisk for 20-25 minutes or until roux becomes a dark brown color and has a nutty fragrance (make sure you do not burn roux during this step or you will have to discard & repeat step).

Add onions, green peppers, celery, garlic and chopped sausage to roux and sauté for 5 minutes.  Gradually add both shrimp and chicken stock whisking mixture continuously until roux dissolves into stock.  Add all the dry and fresh herbs and seasonings to stock pot.  Stirring frequently cook gumbo over a medium heat until it reaches a boil.  Reduce heat to a simmer and then add chicken and remaining sausage.  Continue simmering for 1 hour making sure gumbo is stirred frequently.  Add shrimp and okra cook for an additional five minutes.  Adjust seasonings to taste and serve over a scoop of warm rice.

 Shrimp Stock

2 lbs. Shrimp with shells uncooked

2 tbsp. Butter

1 small onion chopped

1 celery stalk chopped

1 bay leaf

5 black peppercorns

½ cup white wine

1 fresh sprig of Thyme

6 cups of water

Peel and devein shrimp with tails and shells being reserved for stock.  Refrigerate cleaned shrimp until needed.  Using a stockpot melt butter over medium high heat.  Add shrimp shells and tails and sauté until shells turn a bright red.  Add wine and cook until reduced by ½.  Add water and remaining ingredients.  Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer.  Remove scum from top of stock using a ladle.  Continue simmering for 30 minutes.  Remove from stove, strain stock, and store or use as needed.