How to Make Gumbo

Can you name just one famous southern Cajun recipe? Well I can and it's my favorite Cajun meal. Its basic name is gumbo, but there are many gumbo recipes so I'll be specific. My favorite is "New Chicken and Shrimp Gumbo" and it's delicious. I got the recipe from a great cookbook. It's called "Chef Paul Prudhomme's Fork In The Road". Would you like to learn how to make it? If so keep reading and follow along?

Now first things first. You need to go to the store for a few ingredients, because I'm sure you don't just keep okra around for the sake of it. What you will need for the seasoning mix is: 1 tablespoon sweet paprika, 1 tablespoon dry mustard, 2 Ð... teaspoons dried sweet basil leaves, 2 teaspoons of salt, onion powder and garlic powder each; 1 ј teaspoons dried oregano, 1 Ð... teaspoons thyme leaves, Ñ* teaspoons of black pepper and Ð... teaspoons of white pepper and cayenne pepper each. That was the seasoning mix; you still need meat and veggies. That list contains: 1 pound of chicken breast's, cubed into Ð...-inch pieces, 1 pound of fresh peeled medium shrimp, 2 cups of chopped green bell peppers, chopped celery and defatted seafood stock each; 3 cups of chopped onions, sliced okra, chopped collard greens, and defatted chicken stock each; 1 cup each of apple juice, 3 bay leaves, 6 cups of chopped mustard greens, and cooked long grain white rice and 6 tablespoons of all-purpose flour, browned. Now take a breath and get to the store to get the seasoning mix, meat and veggies!

Are you ready to cook some good mean gumbo? Let's go then, first Combine all the seasoning ingredients in a small bowl and Mix them together. Next you sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the seasoning mix on the diced chicken; then sprinkle the shrimp with another tablespoon of the seasoning mix. Now you need a 5 quart pot, preferably nonstick, and you need to preheat it over high heat to 350 degrees, which should be around 4 minutes, depending on conditions.

Then add 3 cups of the mustard greens, 2 cups of the onions, all of the bell peppers, celery, and bay leaves. The one cup of okra and dump it all in the pot and cook, stirring occasionally to check for sticking. After 8 minutes add the apple juice and remaining seasoning mix, stir and cook until most of the liquid is absorbed, should take 6 to 8 minutes. Add the seasoned chicken, cover the pot and cook for 2 minutes.

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