Gumbo Epiphany

There’s an epiphany in making gumbo!  God, like a chef preparing a wonderful batch of gumbo, following a wonderful recipe, takes exactly the right ingredients, in exactly the right proportions, stirs it for exactly the right amount of time, never stepping away, and finally blends all things together into a harmonious, delicious whole.

A Recipe For One Batch of Great Gumbo to Serve 6-8 Hungry People

1.  The Day Before – Prepare the Stock:

Into a large stew pot, pour five cups of broth – chicken and/or fish
Add approximately one cup each of onions (white and green), bell peppers, and celery
Add at least 10 oz of okra (essential if you want to call it “gumbo”)
Bring the stock to a boil, reduce the heat, and cook it slowly at least 30 minutes.
Cover the pot and let it sit in the refrigerator overnight.
You will remove the stock from the refrigerator the next day.
And add approximately 2 lb. of fish, shrimp, crab (or chicken and andouille sausage) as the stock is reheating.

2.  The Second Day – Prepare the Roux:

Into a cast iron skillet
Pour one-half cup of oil
When the oil is hot, add one-half cup of white flour
Stir constantly with a wooden spoon, controlling the heat, and NEVER STEP AWAY, until the roux is dark brown

3.  Blend the Stock and the Roux:

When it is time for the roux to stop cooking, ladle stock into the skillet and stir.
Combine the roux with the stock in the stew pot and stir.
Add seasoning, such as salt, pepper, Tony Chacheri’s Cajun Seasoning, or Tabasco to taste.

Serve in bowls with rice, saltine crackers, and/or French bread.