Son-Of-A-Gun Finest Kind Gumbo

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Dear Readers:

The Editor has always been partial to gumbo but never experienced really great gumbo until becoming a member of the 60th Army Band at Fort Polk, Louisiana in 1969.

As a military musician, he was treated to world-class gumbo all over the state. Every time the band visited a school, performed at a festival, marched in a parade or whatever, if eating was in any way involved, and if you've ever been in Louisiana you already know that eating is almost ALWAYS involved, gumbo was not only on the menu, but at the top of the list. I don't know how many kinds of gumbo I had in the two years I was in LA but ALL were state-of-the-art experiences at the dinner table.

Actually, being a military musician anywhere in the world had superb culinary advantages. In Germany it was beer, brats, frites, schnitzel, and the best wine in the world, but that's another story.

In Korea it was kalbi, kimchi, mandu... What?  Oh yeah; that's another story too. Right... sorry, I forgot.  Back to gumbo...

There are many time-honored and/or traditional recipes for gumbo. By combining this with that ingredient from this and that recipe, over the years The Editor's very own concoction, Son-Of-A-Gun Finest Kind Gumbo has evolved.

To tell the truth the very own concoction part is not entirely accurate as nothing much is written in concrete.

Once you make the roux and get beyond the basic ingredients there is ample opportunity for you to customize your own Son-Of-A-Gun Finest Kind Gumbo to individual tastes.

All of that being said, The Editor is sure that you're quite tired of his idle chit chat and ready for the vaunted recipe.  Be prepared, it takes a little time, but the result is well worth the effort.

Ingredients:
1/4 C butter
1/4 C = 4 T or 1/2 stick
2 T flour
2 C sliced okra

Y'all know enough about okra and tomatoes to slice them sideways not up and down right?  Geeze anyway!!

1 large chopped onion

NOW is the time for up-and-down folks... slice onions criss-crossed up-and-down, then sideways to make perfect chopped onions.

1 303 can diced tomatoes
If you're a purist go ahead and dice 2 or 3 fresh tomatoes yourself but you'll save a ton of time, trouble and $$ using canned 'maters. With all the spices and whatnot found in Son-Of-A-Gun Finest Kind Gumbo you won't be able to tell the difference.  Trust me on this.
1 small chopped green pepper
add a little chopped sweet red and/or yellow pepper for color
1/2 C chopped celery
1/4 C dried parsley
1 t thyme
1/2 t basil
1 bay leaf
1/4 t black pepper (or to taste)
1/4 t cayenne pepper (or a good slug of Tabasco)
3 C cooked rice
I use chicken flavored rice.  Whatever...

2 cans chicken broth... make your own with bouillon or pressure cook some chicken and use the broth if you want to.

Now comes the time to individualize:

Shrimp, crab, cooked chicken, chopped smoked sausage, clams... mix 'em up if you will... as much or little as you want.

Optional ingredients:
optional for you maybe, not for me... all to taste:
Zaterain's Creole seasoning
Tony Chachere's Creole seasoning
Mrs. Dash's all-purpose seasoning
McCormick's seasoned salt
McIlhenny's Tabasco sauce

Preparation:
Melt butter in a 6-quart pot.
Add flour and stir until absorbed by the butter.
This is the roux. #1 Gumbo rule: ALWAYS make the roux first.
Add onion, pepper and celery.
Saute' until butter/flour mixture is brown.
Add chicken broth and stir until thickened.
Add veggies, seasonings, and spices.
Cover and simmer 30 minutes stirring occasionally so that the butter/flour mixture won't stick to the bottom of the pot.
Add seafood(s) and/or sausage and/or chicken.
Simmer 15 minutes. Don't forget to stir every now and then.
Add cooked rice.

Sprinkle 1/2 t Zaterain's Gumbo file' per bowl.
Tony Chachere's file' works too.

Addition of file' to gumbo thickens it slightly and adds a delicate exclusively Cajun flavor.

Now this is important.

Add the file' to individual BOWLs of gumbo. Never ever boil file' with your gumbo as it will toughen the file' and destroy its delicate flavor.

Enjoy!!

Whoooo Boy!!!  Now that's some kinda good!

Made From Scratch (almost) Cornbread is an excellent compliment to Son-Of-A-Gun Finest Kind Gumbo.

Click here for Made From Scratch (almost) Cornbread.

Now, since it's a done deal, although somewhat against his better judgment The Editor is going to list some shortcuts for folks that may have had a hard day at the office and need a little gumbo as a pick-me-up but happen to be running short in the time department.

Substitutes:
Zaterain's Gumbo Mix
Zaterain's has a little rice in it but not enough. You'll need 6 cups of cold water plus the mix. Use COLD water.  If you don't you're going to spend at least half-an-hour trying to get the lumps out. What? You say it'll lump up with cold water too?  Ya think? That's what a wisk is for.  Good night Ms. Agnes anyway!!
Trappey's Okra and Tomatoes
canned, but anything made by Trappey's is good stuff
McCormick's diced dried onion
chopped works too
Dried or frozen green pepper
Canned seafood(s)
Bryan's little smokie links

the ones about an inch long

Leftover rotisserie chicken
Remember? It's the one you got at Costco last Tuesday. You were running short on time then too.

Using these ingredients makes a passable gumbo which beats the smack out of canned gumbo or no gumbo at all.

No gumbo at all...

My word... that would be more than a body could bear.