My Mother’s Gumbo

Chicken, Zummo's Sausage, Blue Crab, Filé, and Herb Rice

Chef Tiffany Derry of Roots Southern Table | Farmers Branch, TX
Yield: 3 gallons

Adapted by StarChefs | December 2021

INGREDIENTS:

Okra:
2 pounds okra, cut to ¼-inch slices
2 tablespoons olive oil

Gumbo:
1 ½ cups neutral oil
2 cups flour
2 cups diced onion
2 cups diced celery
2 cups diced green bell pepper
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 quarts shrimp stock
4 quarts duck or chicken stock
1 quart puréed tomatoes
3 bay leaves
1 teaspoon thyme
1 tablespoon ground cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
½ tablespoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon paprika
4 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons black pepper
2 pounds chicken breasts and/or thighs, oven-roasted and medium diced
1 pound andouille sausage, sliced into half moons
6 dashes Tabasco hot sauce
1 blue crab, cleaned and cut into large pieces
¼ cup gumbo filé
2 pounds 16/20 shrimp, peeled
1 bunch green onion, sliced
Parsley, chopped

To Assemble and Serve:
Cooked jasmine rice
Chopped parsley
Gumbo filé
Louisiana-style hot sauce

METHOD:

For the Okra:
Heat oven to 375°F. Add okra to a sheet tray and toss with olive oil. Bake 15 minutes. Set aside.

For the Gumbo:
In a pot over medium flame, heat oil. Add flour and cook, stirring frequently until the color reaches a dark chocolate brown, 30 minutes. Add onion, celery, bell pepper, and minced garlic and sauté until soft. Add stocks, tomatoes, bay leaves, thyme, spices, salt, and pepper and bring to a boil. Simmer 20 minutes, skimming off any impurities that rise to the surface. Add Okra, chicken, and sausage and simmer another 25 minutes. Adjust seasoning as needed and add Tabasco. Add crab, cook 5 minutes, then add gumbo filé, stirring quickly to prevent lumps from forming. Stir in shrimp, green onion, and parsley. Remove pot from heat and let sit 5 minutes while shrimp cooks through.

To Assemble and Serve:
In a serving bowl, add a ladle-full of Gumbo with chicken, sausage, shrimp, and crab. To the center of the bowl, add a spoonful of rice. Garnish with parsley, gumbo filé, and hot sauce.

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