SAUSAGE GUMBO

This recipe is another “use what you have in your fridge / freezer” recipe. So if you want to make it with canned tomatoes, okra, andouille sausage, shrimp, chicken, etc. go for it! And if you have access to the traditional gumbo spice, filé powder, add it after the gumbo is done (just what I read. I don’t have any experience with it and read that it’s a thickener, which roux and the okra would do.)

So, I had a giant bucket of homemade turkey stock that I used. I thought I was using a one cup scoop to add the broth, looking at my cup afterwards, I realized it was a 2 cup’er. So I ended up making some extra roux up in a small frying pan, adding a splash of stock, then adding it to the pot as I like a very thick gumbo. For the recipe below, I figured 2 less cups of stock than I used would make it nice and thick without having to add extra roux.

Also, next time I would add some chicken (buy a precooked rotisserie chicken and cut it up). 

I served it with over leftover red beans and rice.

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Sausage Gumbo

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons bacon fat
• 1/2 cup flour
• Yellow pepper
• 2 stalks of celery
• 1 onion chopped
• 4 sausages sliced
• 5 cups chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tablespoons hot sauce of choice Franks Red Hot
• 3/4 cup tomato sauce or 1 213ml can
• 1/2 cup grape tomatoes crushed

SPICES

• 2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
• 1 teaspoon Smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon Slap Ya Mama
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
• 1 teaspoon thyme
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• S&P to taste 2 tsp s 1 tsp pepper
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 Bay leaf

Instructions

• Saute the sausage slices until browned, remove from pan.
• Add the bacon fat and melt on medium heat.
• Add the flour and cook the roux, stirring constantly, until it turns a deep brown.
• Add the onion, peppers, and celery, cooking until the onion is tender.
• Add 2 cups of the stock, stirring to mix. Once it thickens, add the rest of the stock, the tomato sauce, worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and the spices (including S&P). Stir to mix. Bring it to a boil.
• Add the sausage and remaining stock, and simmer on low for half an hour.
• Remove the bay leaf and pour over rice.

Notes

The traditional trio is onions, celery and green peppers. But I HATE green peppers. So I used yellow peppers.
If using a smoked sausage like andouille, skip the smoked paprika and don’t cook the sausage before.
According to various recipes, the tomato sauce is optional and should be stewed tomatoes, which I didn’t have.