Topi's Gumbo

I smile whenever I think of making Gumbo, because it's a dish I have made for special occasions and large gatherings.

Ingredients:
(Brace Yourself)

• 1 1/2 C. Vegetable Oil
• 1 1/2 C. All Purpose Flour
• 2 C. Onion, coarse chopped
• 2 C. Celery, sliced (including the leaves)
• 2 C. Mix of red, yellow, orange sweet Peppers, coarse chopped (Green Peppers give Scott heartburn and these are prettier!)
• "Better than Base" Chicken Paste
• 8 Qts Water
• OR...8 Qts Chicken Broth (low sodium)
• 3 Cans Diced Tomatoes
• 1 lb. Chicken Thigh Meat cut in chunks
• 2 Pks Andouille Sausage, sliced (substitute Hot Links)
• 1 lb. EACH Crawfish Tail Meat (or Crab), Shrimp, Scallops
• 3 Large Bags Okra, sliced
• Your Favorite Louisiana Hot Sauce (I prefer Tabasco or Crystal)
• Sliced Limes - Essential
• Slow Cooked Rice (I usually use Mahatma long grain, but I have also used Quinoa to reduce the carbs.)
• 1 Big-Ass Heavy Pot (I use an old 3 Gal Pressure Cooker Pot I found at a garage sale

Seasonings:  You can make ahead and store in Ziploc Bags.  Good for gifts, too!

* 2 whole bay leaves * 1½ tablespoon salt * 2 teaspoons paprika * 1½ teaspoons white pepper * 1½ teaspoons garlic powder * 1 teaspoon onion powder * ½ teaspoon ground red pepper * ¾ teaspoon dry mustard * ¾ teaspoon black pepper * ½ teaspoon dried thyme leaves * ¼ teaspoon dried oregano leaves * 3 tablespoons gumbo file * 2 teaspoons dried basil Preparation: My Scott, LOVES to do the choppin' but if you aren't so lucky, and are making Gumbo by yourself, chop the onions, celery, peppers, garlic, chicken and slice the andouille sausage before you begin. The Secret's in the Roux: Plan nothing while you make the roux. Don't answer the door, don't answer the phone. If the Roux burns, you have to start over. Place Oil and Flour in your big-ass Pot and turn fire to Medium. Mix well and stir. The roux will spread over the bottom, so I usually use a long handle wooden spatula so I can scrape up the bottom entirely. I let the mixture bubble for a few seconds, then stir it up. Let it spread and bubble for a few seconds and scrape it up again, repeat, repeat, repeat, shake out the cramp in your arm, repeat, repeat. This seems to last forever. Don't get impatient and turn the heat up. Eventually, you will watch the roux begin to brown and thicken slowly. I don't like a real dark brown roux, about the color of medium oak or fruitwood. When the roux is done, it has a wonderful fragrance that I can't explain, but you'll know it if you make gumbo a lot. When the roux is the color you want, add the onions and stir, stir, stir just until the onions begin to carmelize. Add the Celery and Peppers and stir to make them sweat. (About 3 minutes). Mix the "Better than Base Chicken Paste" with enough water to make 8 quarts. (Yes, you can use canned chicken stock, but this is better and actually making chicken stock just adds more time, so we'll leave that to Martha S.) Add 2 Quarts of the stock to the roux and vegetables, stir until well mixed. It will turn into a big pasty brown blob mess. Reduce the heat to simmer, or turn it off, while you prepare the meats. Letting it "rest" seems to make it better. In a big skillet, brown the andouille slices an' dump 'em in da pot. Add the chicken chunks to the skillet with the andouille drippin's and brown dat, an dump dem in da pot, too! Mix it all up togetha, and turn the fire back up to medium. (My only attempt at Cajun dialect. How I do love it, so.) Add the rest of the chicken stock, the three cans of diced tomatoes, the bay leaves and half the okra. Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat to the lowest possible setting and let simmer at least 4 hours, sometimes even 6 is more better if your "simmer setting" is a true simmer, stirring occasionally. Bring the heat up to just rolling stage. Add the remainder of the okra, shrimp, crawfish or crab, and scallops. Reduce the heat and simmer for another hour. At this point, I start removing the oil from the top of the pot. You will get at least a cup or more. Actually, Scott likes to do this part, too! Serving: Place a little rice in the bottom of a bowl. Ladle the Gumbo over the rice. Add a dash of hot sauce and a squeeze of lime slice over the top. Serve with a lot of fresh hot bread and butter. I learned from a true New Orleans Cajun boy, that you always eat Gumbo with a dash of Tabasco and a squeeze of lime. I think the lime is the laniappe to my gumbo, and I have to tell you, it makes all the difference. My family won't eat any Gumbo without limes now. “Laissez les bon temps rouler, mon cher!!!”