World Series Gumbo

Perhaps my favorite food tradition is that I make Gumbo every year for the first Saturday World Series game. The timing is perfect because it feeds a crowd, is great on a cold night and we can use a lot of ingredients from our garden (okra, peppers, parsley). Last night it came out pretty well (but to quote Tony Bourdain, I didn't offer it to anyone who (1) hadn't already spent a few hours drinking free beer and (2) wasn't already my friend). All I know for sure is that the bowls were empty.

While I personally really enjoy making gumbo, it is a lot of work to do right. It is also the one dish that I make that always has some improvisation. Unlike Dad, I am drawn toward perfecting a recipe and being content with it, but for Gumbo, I am always trying something new or adjusting based on what is available.

To make this gumbo, I first roast some chicken. I used to just use chicken breasts and cut the meat into cubes, but it is much better if you roast it bone-in, let it cool completely, then shred it with your hands. Usually I just use the breasts and put the rest of the chicken in my stock. Remember to sear the outsides over high heat and finish it in the oven.

The stock needs to boil down about 35 minutes, but more would be fine. My stock has whatever chicken I did not roast (including the skin and fat I cut off), 3 quarts of prepared chicken stock (though a few times I have made my own), 1 quartered onion, some chopped carrots, a tablespoon of whole peppercorns, one teaspoon of kosher salt and a tablespoon of parsley.

While the stock is gently boiling, I make the roux. The "magic ratio" is a half cup of flour and one-third cup of vegetable oil. I put it in a large dutch oven on super low heat and stir it constantly for at least 30 minutes. The best tool is a dollar store wooden spoon with the end cut off to be flat. You really have to keep it moving the whole time and cook it super slow. I usually recruit help. If it burns (and it is easy to smell that), trust me: throw it out. Once it burns it can neither be saved nor eaten (I actually once saw a dog - a real life dog - sniff burnt gumbo and turn away).

Once the roux is brown and the stock reduced, I add 2 diced onions, 1 diced green pepper, 2 diced celery stalks and 6-8 diced jalapeno peppers to the roux. When stirred over low heat, this holy trinity and chiles will turn soft and almost paste like. Then I drain the stock through a sieve into the roux and add 2 cups of diced okra, the chicken and diced up sausage (Andouille rocks). Then, I let it simmer for as long as it takes my Jasmine rice to steam. When it's about time to eat, I add the raw shrimp and let that cook about 3 more minutes (I promise that is all it takes). Serve the gumbo over rice. I've been adding Tabasco to mine and serving it with crusty bread.