It all starts with a roux. That illusive thickening agent made from equal parts oil and flour, cooked slowly until dark brown and nutty in flavor. The trick with making a roux is to get the right deep brown color without burning it. It takes constant stirring and patience, that’s for sure.
This was the first time I have made a classic Louisiana gumbo with some of our home-grown okra. Along with roasted turkey thigs, chicken Andouille sausage and plump jumbo shrimp, this comforting Cajun soup is welcomed at the dinner table any time of year. I served my spicy gumbo over fluffy brown basmati rice with (you guessed it!) the bottle of Tabasco not too far out of reach.
(To view this recipe, click on the blue title of the blog post above*)
Turkey, Andouille & Shrimp Gumbo with Okra
Ingredients:
- ¼ cup canola oil
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup trilogy (chopped onion, bell pepper and celery)
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup dry white wine
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 ½ teaspoons Cajun seasoning
- ½ lb. okra, cut into ½-inch rounds
- 28 oz. can diced tomatoes, drained
- 2 turkey thighs
- 1 lb. chicken Andouille sausage, cut into ½-inch rounds
- 1 lb. jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
- Cooked rice, hot sauce, and fresh parsley, for serving
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Place the turkey thighs along with 1 cup of water in a roasting pan. Season each of the turkey thighs with salt and pepper, or Cajun seasoning. Roast for 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until the turkey thighs reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees. Allow the turkey to cook and then shred, saving the bones and skin for stock later.
- Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil; add in the sliced okra and blanch for about 2 minutes. Drain and set aside.
- In the meantime, in a Dutch oven or large stock pot add the oil and heat over medium heat, whisking in the flour. Reduce the heat to low and whisk constantly until the roux is dark brown in color. (This can take anywhere from 15-20 minutes, depending on the heat setting of your stove!)
- Add in the trilogy and garlic into the roux and cook for 8-10 minutes, or until tender. Add in the dried herbs, stock, water and wine. Increase the heat to medium; add in the Cajun seasoning. Simmer the mixture, stirring often, for about 20 minutes or until slightly thickened. Add in your blanched okra, shredded turkey, sausage and diced tomatoes. Cook an additional 35-45 minutes over low heat. Add in the shrimp and cook an additional 10 minutes.
- Adjust the seasonings if necessary. Add in Tabasco or your favorite hot sauce as well. Serve warm over rice with a sprinkling of chopped, fresh parsley.
Tagged: Andouille sausage, Cajun, chicken Andouille sausage, chicken stock, Creole, diced tomatoes, gumbo, okra, parsley, rice, roasted turkey, roux, shrimp, soup, stew, trilogy, turkey thighs
Leave a Reply