**gUmBo**

gumbo (gum′bō)

a soup made thick with unripe okra pods,

 usually made with tomatoes, vegetables,

 and chicken, ham, or seafood

flavorful & freezable

~a few of the necessities~

let's get this out of the way first thing - see the jar to the right?

that's right it says brown flour (that will be your roux)

Roux:-A mixture of flour and fat cooked together & used as a thickening.

The browned flour offers a more healthy version of roux!

Recipe for Browned flour

preheat oven to 400-450 degrees

  Place 1-1/2 cups of white flour in an iron skillet.

put in oven, stirring often, when it begins to brown.

It will turn the color of cinnamon.

You will need to turn vent fan on!

This flour will be used to thicken your gumbo.

(you can keep this on hand if your make excess)

 ~~~

The following recipe belongs to my father-in-law.

He shared the recipe in our previous church's cookbook.

We moved away from the convenience

of eating from "his pot" so I was forced

to master the "concoction".

~~~

Chicken Gumbo

North LA makes more poultry & pork gumbo

whereas South LA makes more seafood

(you can add shrimp, sausage, duck, & squirrel)

Finally the original recipe!

1 gallon water, 1 onion chopped, 1 Tablespoon salt,

1 Tablespoon Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning

1 whole chicken cut in half with skin and fat removed

~put water in a large pot, bring to boil, add onions & seasonings~

Add chicken and boil until done.  (I put mine in a pressure cooker)

Let chicken cool down, for taking off bone.

Ok, chicken is out of pot. Leave broth in pot.

 Let's start adding ingredients to

the broth that was left over from the chicken.

1 can of Chicken Broth added to the broth in pot

1 cup Tomato Sauce

1 can Cut okra & tomatoes (mashed)

1 can Ro-tel

1 package of Lipton Onion Soup Mix

1-1/2 cups of Browned flour

Add chicken to mixture.

Let simmer.

Serve over rice & sprinkle some File' on top

Better the next day.

Did I say you need one of these to make it?

I also thought you might like to know

 what we eat with our gumbo.

Spicy Crackers

1-1/3 cups of canola oil

1 Tablespoon of Red pepper

1 pkg. original Ranch dressing mix

blend together oil, pepper, & dressing mix

Using a large mouth gallon jar or container,

place one sleeve of crackers in jar,

pour 1/4th of mixture over crackers,

add next sleeve and pour mixture over those,

continue repeating layers.

You will need a jar that seals off tightly.

Rotate jar occasionally, so mixture will

disperse over all crackers.

Crisp and long-lasting.

You can't just eat one!

Linking to:
Shelly's Fabulous Food Fridays

&

Vanessa's Soup Exchange