It's spelled 'kielbasa' not 'keilbasa'. Or 'kiełbasa' (that's 'l' with a slash) if you can use unicode or central european encoding.
Whoops. Forgot to run a spell check on the article. Thanks for catching the error!
This sounds wonderful--cozy and nourishing. I have to try it, but first I will run it through a recipe analyzer...obsessed as I am these days with calories, carbs, and the like. Which led me to the thought....are your recipes by any chance in a format easy to analyze? Or do you have access to something that could tell us stats? I don't want to create extra work for you, but it does seem sort of...engineer-y.
Actually, I will probably substitute those great chicken sausages that I get at Costco and engineer out some of the fat when I make it.
I'm a reader from Louisiana, and I'll let you in on a secret we use often -- instant roux. Adding some of this to your okra stew would indeed make a fast gumbo. Here's a link to an article that explains how to use instant roux: http://www.cookinglouisiana.com/Cooking/powdered-roux.htm Many Cajun grandmothers have switched over to instant roux because it is easier and quicker.
Adding a few drops of Trapper's MexiPep hot sauce will add that indifinable extra something to your gumbo. Great job, looks just like my gumbo, sans roux.
That's Trappey's. Also using canned okra will add an extra tang to your gumbo you might like.
Ack, chicken sausage.
Do that fast roux, ya gotta have a roux in there. That'll change the dynamics of yer food right there. Deelightful. Here's my attempt:
http://www.cyberbilly.com/meathenge/archives/000347.html
Biggles
Roux is very easy to make in the microwave - it makes no sense to ommit it or to use some store bought processed stuff.
Take the normal porportions you would use of butter and flour, Mix well in a large pyrex messuring cup and microwave in 30 second bursts until you get the desired color. I usually bring mine up to a brick-red to dark brown color. It takes about 4 minutes in my micro wave. I cannot tell the difference between this and something I made on the stove top.
I suppose you could make a roux in the microwave, and I guess that with practice you can learn how to do it properly. But it seems like a pretty dicey proposition to me. I mean, after all, the point of a roux for gumbo is the flavor as much as the thickening power. Maybe it's just me, but "brick red" doesn't cut it for flavor; more like mahogany. And it seems to me you wouldn't have enough control over the process in a microwave to prevent scorching and burning when you get to that point.
Maybe I'm just too skeptical, but microwaved roux? No thank you.
On topic: I like the recipe, despite my loathing of okra. And I'm glad I found this site.
Cheers,
Robert
re: roux flavor or thickener?
In traditional gumbo, the roux is used more for flavor than for thickening power. The darker the roux (the longer you cook it), the more flavor it has, but by the time it's a deep mohagony, it doesn't have much in the way of thickening power. That role is given to the okra or the file powder.
Eeek, arguing over to to make a proper roux is akin to arguing over which is better, a pc or mac.
It depends on what your taste is and/or what you're preparing.
I can offer a wonderful resource from somone born & raised in NOLA, if that helps anyone. I've done a handful of his recipes and read many more than that. His recipes are spot on, for the most part.
Chuck Taggart's Gumbo Pages
http://www.gumbopages.com/recipe-page.html
Another reference for Gumbo is a book called, "The Little Book of Gumbo". I picked up a copy while on my Honeymoon a few years ago. Its where I found the idea for Microwave Roux. There is also an interesting idea for toasting the flour in the oven. Then it is stored in the fridge (up to 2 months if I remember correctly). When the time comes for roux, you just melt some butter and add the toasted flour. The book contains a lot of history and lore and a nice variety of recipes - both quick and traditional. For more tradition, of course, nothing beats Chez P.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0937552178/qid=1105650100/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/103-2720751-3560602?v=glance&s=books
By the way, the microwave roux has the same depth and nutty flavor as anything I've made in the more traditional ways. Control is no problem: simply adjust the power level once you begin to reach the desired color.
I LOVE gumbo!! I'm looking forward to trying this recipe. Thanks!
carla lynne hall aka
mama soul
Down here in Louisiana, there are two prevalent types of gumbo- Chicken and andouille sausage, or seafood (crab, and shrimp- sometimes scallops)
The local grocery stores carry 'gumbo crabs', split and ready to go in the pot. In my estimation, there is nothing better than a good seafood gumbo.
Everyone I talk to down here says 'ta make a good gumbo, ya gotta start with a good roux'. I use equal parts oil and flour, and simmer until mahogany, and smells nutty. Lightly scorched, actually.
Once the roux cools, add stock or water, and bring up to simmer- add in the gumbo craps, the trinity (onion, bell pepper, and celery), and whatever-the-hell-else you want to put in there.
As for the Okra, common wisdom down here says, get fresh okra, and saute in a seperate pan before adding to the pot. that way, it won't get all slimy...
I would really like to print this but only page 1 prints. (This is true of all recipes on your website.) Any suggestions?
There's a bug in Internet Explorer which doesn't print the rest of the pages. Until I get a chance to rebuild the site, please use the Printer Friendly link (at the bottom of each article before the comments begin) to modify the layout slightly to support printing on IE.
I found this recipe to be very tasty but perhaps in need of a bit of thickening which I solved by adding some toasted flour I'd dissolved in cold water. Also, I slightly modified the procedure for addition of the sausage to get a happy compromise between salty, smoky taste and light, not-so-salty soup-like taste. Here is how I modified the recipe:
I added about 2/3 of the browned sausage at the start of the simmer process and the last 1/3 about 5 or 10 minutes prior to serving. This resulted in a not-too-salty taste but one that still had nice aromas from the long-simmered sausage pieces.
At the end of the simmering process I found the end result to be thinner than what I wanted (still very water-like). I used a "quick roux substitute" method I'd read about on another cooking website for cajun dishes which was to brown all-purpose flour in a skillet over medium heat until the flour was a nice amber color (light brown). For this recipe I used about 1/2 cup of flour which I added to the gumbo in two steps by dissolving the flour into just enough cold water to make a batter-like mix. Another few minutes of cooking the gumbo at a low boil cooked the "faux roux" enough to thicken and develop the taste. Perhaps next time I'll add more okra up front to minimize the need for thickening with flour (I had weighed-out the correct amount of okra prior to addition).
The end result was very delicious. I've had lots of gumbo dishes throughout the gulf coast region and this one holds its own with most of the better ones and is much better than many. I used Hillshire Farms smoked sausage for my gumbo and cut it into a 1/2 inch dice before sauteing. The okra was fresh picked from my garden.
Just found your site also....way to go guy, you may just make a cook out of this old man. I tried your pork back ribs last week and they were awesome. BS
I was curious if one could really do a microwave roux and it turns out you can. I don't think it is any faster than on the stove top, but it is definitely easier, safer, and with less cleanup. I used 1 minute bursts but I have read you can go up to 5-6 minutes without stirring. Try doing that on the stove top!
SteveH
This is a fantastic soup! I've prepared it three times, and the last time I included shrimp. Wow! Everyone who has sampled this soup absolutely loves it. Thanks so much for sharing this recipe.
The roux is a mater of taste, from caramel to dark mahogany in color try and taste the difference, then choose the one you like. It is the foundation, and it is all about taste. File powder (basically ground sassafras leaves) can be used at the table to thicken, and is customary in some NO eateries.
Also, save some of the trinity (celery onion and bell pepper) to be add uncooked toward the end of the cooking process for a crisp and colorful surprise.
Lastly the original recipe was to make QUICK Okra Soup not create a true Gumbo which takes time. The words quick and Gumbo probably should not be used in the same sentence.
Why don't you brown the chicken in the pan with oil first? It will give a roasted flavor to the chicken, rather than boiled. It will also give the stew a better color. The stew per the recipe looks pale and uncooked.
Next, cut one pound smoked sausage such as andouille or kielbasa into bite size pieces. Make sure you use Cajun andouille, not French (which is made of tripe and usually is not smoked and is not spicy). Apply 1 Tbs. oil to a pan and heat. Over gentle heat, brown the sausage. The sausage should have enough oil so the pan doesn't dry up while cooking. (If not, add a little more oil.)
Meanwhile, pour 4 14 oz. cans of low-sodium, low-fat chicken broth into a large pot. Then add eight cups of water, cover, and bring the mixture to a boil over high heat.
Hopefully, the broth is boiling at this point. (If not, use this opportunity to saute the okra until golden. Saute the celery as well if the broth isn't boiling yet.) Pour the chopped okra into the broth along with the sauteed onions, bell peppers, and celery. When the mixture begins to boil again, add the chicken and bring the heat down to maintain a simmer. Stirring occasionally, simmer until the chicken is cooked through, about 30 minutes. (The sausage can be added at this point if you don't like salty sausage. The flavor will infuse into the soup. Adding the sausage later will maintain more of the flavor concentrated in the sausage and less spread out in the soup.)
After the soup has thickened (it should form strings when poured slowly from a ladle) and the chicken cooked, add the finely chopped scallions with the sausage. Salt and pepper to taste and simmer for five additional minutes.
The final okra stew is served great over rice, but (if seasoned with a light hand) is also an excellent soup for cold winter days. Adding hot sauce or ground chile to the broth is a great way to spice up this dish.