Recently inspired by my mother-in-law's trip to see sister/brother-in-law and niece and nephew in Georgia is my desire to cook southern food (fried chicken isn't my thing, though I'd try it in the south). Jordan is off work, he broke his shoulder...so I was online looking for recipes that will make you feel good. I've always heard about gumbo, but was never really sure what it was. A quick google search yielded me several hundred gumbo variations (seriously, crazy!) but, as fate would have it, Mrs. Paula Deen was at the top. Mom said they went to the Paula and Sons restaurant in Savannah while on vacay, so I thought I'd give it a try. Like all my recipes, I tweak them...usually with the goal of making it healthier. I thought I'd give you a look at my process...
Here's Paula's Recipe...
3 large boneless skinless chicken breast halves
Salt and pepper
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 pound smoked sausage, cut into 1/4-inch slices
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
5 tablespoons margarine
1 large onion, chopped
8 cloves garlic minced
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
3 stalks celery chopped
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/4 bunch flat leaf parsley, stems and leaves, coarsely chopped, plus chopped leaves for garnish
4 cups hot water
5 beef bouillon cubes
1 (14-ounce can) stewed tomatoes with juice
2 cups frozen sliced okra
4 green onions, sliced, white and green parts
1/2 pound small shrimp, peeled, deveined and cooked
Salt and pepper
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 pound smoked sausage, cut into 1/4-inch slices
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
5 tablespoons margarine
1 large onion, chopped
8 cloves garlic minced
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
3 stalks celery chopped
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/4 bunch flat leaf parsley, stems and leaves, coarsely chopped, plus chopped leaves for garnish
4 cups hot water
5 beef bouillon cubes
1 (14-ounce can) stewed tomatoes with juice
2 cups frozen sliced okra
4 green onions, sliced, white and green parts
1/2 pound small shrimp, peeled, deveined and cooked
Directions
Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a heavy bottomed Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken until browned on both sides and remove. Add the sausage and cook until browned, then remove. Sprinkle the flour over the oil, add 2 tablespoons of margarine and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until brown, about 10 minutes. Let the roux cool.
Return the Dutch oven to low heat and melt the remaining 3 tablespoons margarine. Add the onion, garlic, green pepper and celery and cook for 10 minutes. Add Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper, to taste and the 1/4 bunch parsley. Cook, while stirring frequently, for 10 minutes. Add 4 cups hot water and bouillon cubes, whisking constantly. Add the chicken and sausage. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 45 minutes. Add tomatoes and okra. Cover and simmer for 1 hour. Just before serving add the green onions, shrimp and chopped parsley.
Not bad...
Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a heavy bottomed Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken until browned on both sides and remove. Add the sausage and cook until browned, then remove. Sprinkle the flour over the oil, add 2 tablespoons of margarine and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until brown, about 10 minutes. Let the roux cool.
Return the Dutch oven to low heat and melt the remaining 3 tablespoons margarine. Add the onion, garlic, green pepper and celery and cook for 10 minutes. Add Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper, to taste and the 1/4 bunch parsley. Cook, while stirring frequently, for 10 minutes. Add 4 cups hot water and bouillon cubes, whisking constantly. Add the chicken and sausage. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 45 minutes. Add tomatoes and okra. Cover and simmer for 1 hour. Just before serving add the green onions, shrimp and chopped parsley.
Not bad...
A couple things stand out...
1. 1/4 cup of vegetable oil....what?! That's ridiculous! Use olive oil...and like a teaspoon of it. Make sure your pan is hot and keep stirring. Once you add that sausage, you won't be needing any oil...
2. Use a leaner sausage. I substituted preservative-free Italian sausage or chorizo, watch the sodium content. I like kick over smoke flavour.
3. The roux....oh the roux. There is really no way around this, I just made less of it.
4. Margarine. Paula...you're killing me - hydrogenated oil! Butter is better! Use less of it.
5. Salt? Nope. You're going to get enough from the bouillon cubes, the sausage and the canned tomatoes.
6. Buy low-sodium EVERYTHING. The bouillon, the tomatoes and the sausage.
7. Double the vegetables.
8. You can't get okra in Canada...for shame! You can replace it with eggplant or zucchini but that's just a textural replacement. Okra secretes a natural thickener. Don't make more roux. Just deal with it.
So, it will now look like this
1 tsp Extra Virgin Olive oil
1 pound Hot LEAN sausage, cut into 1/4-inch slices
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon Butter
2 large onions, chopped
10 cloves garlic minced
2
6 stalks celery chopped
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/4 bunch flat leaf parsley, stems and leaves, coarsely chopped, plus chopped leaves for garnish
4 cups hot water
4 LOW SODIUM beef bouillon cubes
1 (14-ounce can) LOW SODIUM stewed tomatoes with juice
4 green onions, sliced, white and green parts
1 pound prawns, peeled, deveined and cooked
Directions - same.
I am usually pretty optimistic when it comes to new recipes, especially when they're supposed to be a world-renowned chef. The finish product was SO salty, even though I didn't add any salt, used low sodium options and cut out a bouillon cube. My husband liked it, but even HE thought it was a little salty. Had I followed the directions to the letter, I would've ended up with a smoky flavoured (the kick from the Italian sausage really added to the dish), bland, salt soup. I definitely DO NOT recommend making it.
So, knowing that wasn't enough to make it taste good. I thought I would change it even more to get flavour...and actually make it healthy. Here is what I suggest instead...
3 large boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed OR use chick peas or lentils as your protein source.
Salt and pepper
I tbsp Olive oil
1 pound smoked sausage, cut into 1/4-inch slices
1/2 cup all-purpose flour 2 cans low sodium tomato paste (Thickener)
5 tablespoons margarine
2 large onions, chopped
12 cloves garlic minced
3 green, red, orange or yellow bell pepper, seeded and chopped
6 stalks celery chopped
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/4 bunch flat leaf parsley, stems and leaves, coarsely chopped, plus chopped leaves for garnish
2 cups hot water
2 cups Low Sodium Beef stock OR vegetable stock
2 (14-ounce can) Low Sodium crushed tomatoes with juice
2 cups frozen sliced okra - For my American friends...YES YES YES!! Like I said before, Okra has thickening properties, it's just not available in Canada. If you want another vegetable, I would recommend mushrooms or eggplant.
4 green onions, sliced, white and green parts
1/2 pound small shrimp, peeled, deveined and cooked OR another protein instead, such as black eyed peas or black beans.
I tbsp Olive oil
2 large onions, chopped
12 cloves garlic minced
3 green, red, orange or yellow bell pepper, seeded and chopped
6 stalks celery chopped
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/4 bunch flat leaf parsley, stems and leaves, coarsely chopped, plus chopped leaves for garnish
2 cups hot water
2 cups Low Sodium Beef stock OR vegetable stock
2 (14-ounce can) Low Sodium crushed tomatoes with juice
2 cups frozen sliced okra - For my American friends...YES YES YES!! Like I said before, Okra has thickening properties, it's just not available in Canada. If you want another vegetable, I would recommend mushrooms or eggplant.
4 green onions, sliced, white and green parts
1/2 pound small shrimp, peeled, deveined and cooked OR another protein instead, such as black eyed peas or black beans.
2 teaspoons of Cayenne Pepper
2 teaspoons of Paprika
Directions
Season the chicken pepper. Heat the oil in a heavy bottomed Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken until browned on both sides and remove. Add the sausage and cook until browned, then remove. Sprinkle the flour over the oil, add 2 tablespoons of margarine and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until brown, about 10 minutes. Let the roux cool.
Return the Dutch oven to low heat and melt the remaining 3 tablespoons margarine. Add the onion, garlic, green pepper and celery and cook for 10 minutes. Add Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper, to taste and the 1/4 bunch parsley. Cook, while stirring frequently, for 10 minutes. Add 2 cups hot water and stock, whisking constantly. Add the chicken and sausage. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 45 minutes. Add tomatoes, tomato paste and okra. Cover and simmer for 1 hour. Just before serving add the green onions, shrimp and chopped parsley.
I think this is what I would do next time...
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