1½ cups Wesson vegetable oil
1½ cups all-purpose White Lily flour
1 package of celery, chopped, include some of the leaves
2 large vidalia onions, chopped
2 green peppers, chopped
4-5 lbs pounds fresh okra, sliced
8 quarts of broth from chicken and turkey wings
1 cup Worcestershire sauce
4 tsp Crystal hot sauce, or more
2 tsp Tabasco, or more
1 cup Hunt’s or Heinz catsup ~
6 Campari tomatoes, chopped
1 pound of pepper bacon, chopped
4 bay leaves
1 teaspoon dried whole thyme
1 teaspoon dried whole rosemary
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 pounds medium-size fresh shrimp
1 whole chicken 2 whole chicken breasts
1 pkg 4 chicken thighs
3 pounds of Conecuh sausage (1 original, 1 Cajun, 1 hot & spicy) 1 pkg
2 Royal smoked turkey wings
Zatarain’s whole grain rice
Cooking Instructions
In a large stock pot, boil the whole chicken and two breasts with generous amounts of course pepper and peppercorns and just a little kosher salt to taste. In another stock pot, boil the turkey wings and chicken thighs. All should simmer for 3-4 hours. In the meantime, slice the okra and brown it in a skillet in small batches with a bit of oil. After each batch is done, toss it in the gumbo pot. Slice the sausage and brown it in a bit of oil and sprinkle sugar on it while cooking to caramelize. Don’t drain it and put it in the gumbo pot. In the same pan/grease cook the pepper bacon pieces until almost done but not crunchy. Don’t drain and throw it in the gumbo pot. Chop the onions, green peppers and celery. Combine oil and flour in a large cast iron Dutch oven; cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until caramel–colored (15 to 20 minutes). Add coarse pepper while cooking. Toss in celery, onion, green pepper; cook an additional 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, scraping the bottom each time. While it’s cooking, go ahead and add all of the tomatoes/seasonings/flavorings to the gumbo pot. When the vegetables are soft/browned, add them to the pot. Don’t wash the pot. Reserve it for the broth. When the chicken/turkey are done simmering, strain out the meat and put it on a cookie sheet to cool. Strain and measure out the broth into the pot from the roux, scraping the sides adding it to the gumbo pot each time it partially fills up. There should be enough for 8 quarts. If not, use a carton of chicken broth to supplement. You can also rinse each of your stock pots with hot water to grab the flavors to supplement. If you have leftover broth, save it for the rice. Debone the chicken and turkey and add the meat to the gumbo pot. Bring to a boil and simmer for ~ 3 hours. Peel and devein shrimp. Bring the boil up on the gumbo and add the shrimp. You can also add jumbo lump crab meat if you’d like. Cook for about 15 minutes more and then it should be ready. When cooking your rice, use leftover chicken broth or that from a carton. Don’t add any salt to the rice while cooking as there’s plenty in the broth.