Back to normal + Gumbo

I'm starting to feel back to normal, whatever that is, after two weeks of being off the health grid, so to speak. I haven't gotten the exercise that my body now craves. I did some cycling today, and Geri and I are planning to do much more over the weekend. In fact, we are planning on doing the new span of the Bay Bridge this Sunday, and our usual Alameda run on Saturday.

So today I'm doing gumbo, basically the same recipe that myself, Erwin, Hans and Andreas made for the birthday bash. If you make this have a party, invite a bunch of friends, get some Abita beer, or Red Stripe, rice, and corn bread and have a party. Play some Meters and Fat's Domino records, and you can't go wrong.

I love gumbo. You can beat it,  but it is a labor intensive dish. Just writing it up was a pain in the ass.

Enjoy.

That's it.

Peace,

Make Food/Not War

Food Consumption;

Breakfast; small bowl of grape nuts, half banana, almond milk, 1 cup coffee

Lunch; peach

Dinner; 1/2 quesadilla leftover, salad w/lots of good stuff

Exercise; 1 hour biking, 3.5 miles walking

                                                     Gumbo Recipe  (total cooking time 7 hours)
Ingredients;
12 oz. roux
4 quarts. chicken stock
1 1/2 pints okra
2.5 pounds andouille sausage cut in 1/2 pieces on the bias
1.5 pounds  shrimps peeled and devained
1 pint shrimp stock
2 tbs file gumbo
3 tbs cayenne
1 large onion diced 1/8"
3 1/2 chicken breasts deboned cut 1/2 pieces
3 green bell peppers
14 large garlic cloves chopped fine
8 stalks celery 1/4 inch cut on the bias
1 celery root rough cut for mirepoix
1 large carrot rough cut "        "
1 large yellow onion rough cut "     "
1 bunch parsley cut fine
long grain

1) Make a chicken stock with the with a mirepoix using the bones from the chicken you deboned. This is enough for two quarts. You'll need 2 more quarts. Place in the fridge till cooled and shim the fat from the top. Discard fat. Place in a 10 quart pot on medium heat.
2) Wash the okra, cut the stems and ends, and cut in 1/2 pieces. Fry in an iron skillet with some olive oil, salt and pepper and put aside.
3) Once the chicken has been deboned cut into 3/4 inch pieces and fry in a skillet till browned on each side with olive oil, s & p, and put aside.
4) Make a small stock with the shells of the shrimp and add to the chicken stock.
5) Cut the andouille sausage and fry in a pan. Let the fat drain and rinse the sausage in hot water to remove the rest of the fat.
6) Make a brown roux with the 6 ounces of non salted butter and 6 ounces of flour.
7) In the gumbo pot add the diced onions, parsley, celery, garlic, onion, green bell pepper, cayenne, file' gumbo, okra, and then add the roux cook until 1/4 of the contents has been reduced. I add the shrimp right at the end. Serve over long grain white rice or brown rice.
8) Rapid cool and refrigerate overnight and re-skim any fat that might rise to the surface from being in the fridge overnight.

Note: This will need constant stirring to keep from sticking and shimming. Fat and smegma will rise to the top, just shim it off and throw it away.