Steffie’s Gumbo

Two lifetimes ago, when I was married, I used to make a killer gumbo for my husband, who, on one of our very first dates, flew the two of us to New Orleans for the weekend. From the beginning, he tapped into my passion for food and travel, and while we were together, my appetite for adventure was fueled by twice-yearly month-long road trips through Europe, so he could visit his family in England and Ireland, and so we could meander through the French countryside, grazing on local cheeses and wines until we nearly popped.

Then, suddenly, in one Katrina-like event, it was over. Our breakup was as intense as our courtship, and as a result, I’ve not been able to enjoy New Orleans – or gumbo – since then. When we split up, I tossed my cherished gumbo recipe in the trash, vowing never to make it again.

I know it’s silly, but there you are.

All of that changed recently, when my dear friends Steve and Stephanie Chambers invited me over to their house in Dallas for an evening of gumbo and laughter – Lafayette-born Stephanie and I have been swapping stories and recipes for more than two decades, but I’ve purposely not asked for her gumbo recipe because I didn’t think that I was ready yet.

One spoonful, and I was hooked. Again. Completely smitten -– whooeeee! –with what I’d been missing all of these years. How could I have denied myself all of this warm, spicy goodness – topped, no less, with a heap of sliced jalapeños?

Was gumbo always this delicious?

Or was it what I found at the table that night – the kind of love and comfort that comes from being with old friends, who know you better than you know yourself – to be so irresistible?

As I settle back into my life in Paris and unpack my Texas staples — cans of jalapenos and chipotles, dark chocolate M&Ms, Crisco, Reese’s, Ziplocs, and Reynolds Wrap heavy-duty foil – this time, I’ve got something else, too.

A recipe for happiness, and one for mending a broken heart, too – something we could all use from time to time.

Steffie’s Gumbo

INGREDIENTS

3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 large white onion, 1/4-inch dice
1 large green bell pepper, 1/4-inch dice
8 green onions, chopped — or leeks, chopped
1 cup prepared roux*
120 ounces (15 cups) chicken broth
2 teaspoons sweet paprika
1 ½ teaspoons Tony Chachere’s seasoning
¾ teaspoon dry mustard
¾ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon cumin
4 bay leaves
2-3 pounds roasted chicken, smoked turkey, shredded
2 links smoked sausage (beef or turkey)
2 14.5 oz cans Trappey’s Creole Okra Gumbo**
cooked white rice (for serving)
gumbo file (for serving)
pickled jalepenos (for serving)

WHAT YOU DO

1. Put 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a large, heavy stockpot, along with white onion and garlic. Cook for 5-10 minutes, until the onions become soft. Add green onions, green pepper, and cook for another 10 minutes.

2. Add another 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil and prepared roux (or make your own – see below). Stir until combined.

3. When warmed through, add broth, seasonings, canned okra, sausage and chicken. Simmer on low heat for 2-3 hours, or until visibly thickened. Cool in the fridge overnight, and adjust seasoning, if needed, the next day.

Reheat and serve with rice, a sprinkle of gumbo file, and sliced pickled jalepenos, and around a table of people who make you laugh.

*If you prefer to make your own roux, here’s all you do: get out a heavy skillet, such as a cast-iron skillet, and over medium-low heat, melt 1 cup of butter, and slowly add 1 cup of all-purpose flour, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or whisk, until the mixture darkens to a chestnut brown. This will take 20-30 minutes.

**No Trappey’s Creole Okra Gumbo in your ‘hood? No worries. Simply substitute 4 cups chopped okra, 1 chopped red bell pepper, 1 teaspoon paprika and 2 tablespoons tomato paste.

After I wrote this, I sent the post to Stephanie, who had just written about her gumbo for the Dallas blog, Good News Girlz. Check out all of her Cajun-inspired recipes on her blogsite, Jitterbug Juice.

Tagged as: Cajun, Dallas, gumbo, Jitterbug Juice, Katrina, New Orleans, okra, roux, Stephanie Chambers