Gumbo is a great traditional Cajun cuisine! It's a great way to use a few leftover meats and I'm sure some Louisiana Cajuns put more than a little roadkill into it. I think of gumbo every time I see a dead animal on the road. Such a waste, one of these days....
I made some up last night. Worked well as I was able to use a little bit of leftover and some home grown vegetables, too.
INGREDIENTS
- 16 oz. Hillshire Farms Li'l Smokies
- 14 oz. leftover smoked turkey
- 8 oz. cooked shrimp
- 1 1/4 c homemade chicken broth
- 8 oz. purple onions, homegrown
- 8 oz. red onions, homegrown
- 7 c water
- 1 T course ground black pepper
- 1 tsp Kosher salt
- 1 stalk celery, sliced very thin
- 5 cloves garlic, sliced thin, homegrown
- 1/2 c dried parsley - or better use 1/4 c fresh
- 1-2 c okra, homegrown
- 4 T olive oil
- 3 T cornstarch dissolved in 1/3 c cold water
DIRECTIONS
Combine all ingredients except cornstarch. You may want to use 6 cups of water since this fills up the pot and needs to cook down. You may want to wait on the shrimp until late stage so it remains firm. Bring to a boil and simmer 1 1/2 to 2 hours. At least 15 minutes before serving, dissolve you cornstarch in water and stir into your gumbo a little at a time. This gives it just the right body. Serve over rice.
Gumbo traditionally is a way to get rid of some leftovers like nutria, coons, squirrel, and various roadkill. Fish seems to be an ingredient you can't do without. I've found it a great way to use leftover smoked turkey and chicken. All the little bits and pieces you'd otherwise hate to serve. And, homemade broth is a good way of taking advantage of the bones leftover from chicken/turkey carcasses. Again, these are things you hate to waste, and by making your own you know just what is in there with no additives. This and any gumbo recipe is extremely flexible so use this as a rough guide. Don't bother trying to duplicate it exactly - make it your own and enjoy!
