Disney posted a “healthy” “gumbo” recipe some years ago, featuring quinoa (!) and kale (!!!), I thought it was worth developing my own lower-calorie healthy gumbo, without compromises in the flavor… in fact, it was probably my best gumbo ever, and that’s saying something.
The keys to this recipe are the dry roux (I know, who ever heard of this, but it’s a real thing!), and the use of a chicken andouille sausage that I found.
In a skillet, melt:
60 ml bacon fat (you might like to try sautéing the trinity in just a little cooking spray or even dry, if bacon fat seems like too much to you…)
In the bacon fat, sautée the trinity:
1 red onion, diced
1 sweet onion, diced
225 ml bell pepper, diced
6 stalks celery, diced
Prepare:
1.25 ℓ stock
If you have shrimp shells, those will make an amazing stock, but even just chicken bouillon cubes will do in a pinch. I used vegetable stock when I made it.
Put a large cast iron pot (or Le Creuset, if you have it!), over medium-high heat. When the pot is heated up, turn on the fan (this is going to smoke a little bit) add:
225 ml all-purpose flour
Whisk it constantly, ensuring that you get into the corners of the pot, where bits of flour like to hang out and scorch. If you do scorch it, start over — you’re only out a cup of flour, after all!
It will give off a lovely, nutty aroma, and once it’s browned to your satisfaction (I like a medium caramel, but others like to go as dark as peanut butter or even milk chocolate), add the vegetable stock, stirring it constantly to ensure that there are no lumps. Add the sautéed vegetables and:
1 kg andouille chicken sausage, sliced
500 g chicken breast, diced
10 ml creole seasoning
Bring to a boil, and then stir in:
500 g shrimp, peeled & deveined
1 kg okra, sliced
15 ml gumbo filé
salt, pepper, & Tabasco to taste
Stir and reduce heat until the meat is all cooked; serve over white rice.