Cheater Gumbo

[Old Fashioned]

Cold hard rains call for some kind of soup to warm ya up. Was looking for a Gumbo recipe and watched Chef Johns in which he says originally Gumbo is 'whatever you have on hand' with few must have's thought the roux is the most important. OK, so last night we had oven fried chicken, mashed potatoes, gravy and corn....and I kept all the leftovers, including extra crispy bits from the bottom of the pan.


And this is what I came up with.....(minus the potatoes and also didn't have and don't like andouille or okra)

Deboned & skinned leftover chicken meat
leftover corn
leftover gravy

added fresh chopped garlic, onion, green pepper, celery

Andouille or Kielbasa sausage
Chicken Broth
Thyme
Bayou Blast (Cajun/Creole seasoning mix per Emeril Lagasse that I use for Jambalaya)
Bay Leaf
Worchestershire Sauce
Cayenne pepper
Tabasco Sauce
Green Onions


Heated the thickened gravy as if it were the roux of regular recipe, without adding any liquid....just to cook it a bit longer and it could darken a bit more. Then added everything else BUT the Tabasco and sausage. Should be like a hearty soup, not too thin & not too thick. Simmer for a couple of hours, then take out the bay leaf and add in the sausage & Tabasco and simmer a few minutes to heat thru. Serve with a scoop of white rice. Top with sliced green onions



From looking at several different recipes, it's usually customary to add seafood, like crab and/or shrimp and some recipes say to add diced and/or sauced tomatoes and some don't at all. This time I didn't. This is again, another forgiving recipe that you can change the meat/protein and veggies as you please or have on hand......though the garlic, onion, green pepper, celery and seasonings are pretty standard.


Bayou Blast

https://www.emerils.com/121705/emerils- ... ayou-blast

2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme





I keep a bunch of this made up at all times and normally use it for Jambalaya, but as Gumbo also calls for Cajun seasonings, I used this

[patriceinil]

Sounds delicious!

[Old Fashioned]

Made the Gumbo tonight for supper, using up the last of the fried chicken, added keilbasa and about a handful of shrimp. Put a good scoop of rice in the bowl and ladled the soup & goodies over the top. It really hit the spot.

I didn't have the leftover gravy or corn and had used a recipe I had written down along time ago, but only includes the ingredients, not the process or directions. So instead of making a roux and adding liquid/broth to that, I ended up doing it backwards. The recipe called for 1 cup of flour, so I just mixed it with half the broth and added the rest in the pot, heated thru and it thickened. Still tasted mighty good.

Ingredients are about the same.

[Farmfresh]

I am "souping" again today. Your gumbo sounds really yummy, but I would be adding the okra. I love the stuff!

[Old Fashioned]

I wouldn't mind if it did have some in it. I just didn't have any. I'm not a huge fan but I will eat it.

[Farmfresh]

I was going to put some in my soup, but I forgot. Mine was the left over stock from the lamb shanks, plus the little bit of lamb that was left in that brew. It also had celery, cabbage, squash, carrots, onions, corn, cherry tomatoes, kidney beans and left over rice. I had two bowls and so did hubby, so I guess it turned out pretty good.