Gumbo Quartet

INGREDIENTS:
FOR THE STOCK
4 lbs chicken, rinsed
2 cloves garlic
1 large onion, unpeeled & quartered
1 large carrot, roughly chopped
1 rib celery, roughly chopped
2 bay leaves
1 tsp whole peppercorns
1 tsp Kosher salt
2 ½ quarts of water

FOR THE GUMBO
1 cup + 1 tsp vegetable oil
1 cup + 2 TBSP all purpose flour
1 large onion, diced
1 large green bell pepper, diced
3 ribs celery, peeled & diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb andouille sausage, sliced
1 smoked ham hock
½ tsp dried thyme
½ tsp Freshly ground black pepper
dash of cayenne pepper
½ tsp Kosher salt
½ tsp celery salt
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 lb gulf shrimp, shells on
1 TBSP butter
5 cups water
4 cups white rice
1 bunch green onions, diced

Add the chicken to a large pot along with the garlic, onion, carrot, celery, bay leaves, peppercorns, and kosher salt. Pour in 2 ½ quarts of cold water and bring to the boil over high heat. Once to the boil, reduce the heat to low and gently simmer for 1 hour. Skim the scum and impurities that rise to the top. 
 
Remove the chicken to a bowl and discard the solids. Strain the broth through cheese cloth or a fine mesh sieve. Set the chicken & broth aside to cool.

Combine one cup of vegetable oil and one cup of flour in a large pan over medium to medium low heat. Stirring constantly, cook the roux through its blond, nutty copper, and brick red stages. Continue cooking, whisking all parts of the pan continuously until your roux reaches a milk chocolate hue after about 30-40 minutes total. Don’t stop stirring and never leave your roux or else you’ll risk burning it. If you burn it, you have to start over.

Add in the holy trinity of diced onion, green bell pepper, and celery. Your roux will darken in color but don’t be alarmed, it’s not burning. It’s just the water and sugar being released. Add the mixture to a large Dutch oven or pot. Stirring often, sauté for 7 minutes until translucent.

Add in 2 TBSP of all purpose flour and 2 cloves of minced garlic stirring constantly for 1 minute. Slowly stir in your broth a few cups at a time until it’s all incorporated. Be sure that your broth has cooled to roughly room temperature before adding. This will ensure you have no lumps and that the roux doesn’t break. 

Add in the smoked ham hock, thyme, freshly ground black pepper, cayenne pepper, Kosher salt, celery salt, and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to the simmer over high heat and let simmer for 1 ½ hours periodically skimming the fat off top.

In a little vegetable oil, brown andouille sausage on all sides in a medium pan over medium high heat. Using a slotted spoon, add all of the sausage to the gumbo. Simmer for another 2 hours periodically skimming the fat off the top. I ended up skimming off about 1 1/2 cups in total.

While your gumbo is simmering, peel and devein your gulf shrimp. Place in a bowl and reserve in the refrigerator until needed. Add the shells and some butter to a medium saucepan over medium high heat. Toast the shells until bright pink and add in 5 cups of water. Cover and gently simmer over medium heat for 30 minutes. Strain and set the liquid aside for 30 minutes to cool.

Once cool, add in rice that has been rinsed very well and soak for 30 minutes. Add in a pinch of Kosher salt and bring to the simmer over high heat stirring occasionally. Once to the simmer, cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 17 minutes and then turn off the heat. Let the rice steam for another 10 minutes before fluffing the with a fork.

Remove the ham hock and shred the meat off the bone using a fork. Remove the chicken meat from the bone and cut into small pieces. Add in the pork & chicken and continue to simmer for the final 15 minutes. Taste for seasoning and adjust with Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper as needed. The final step is to add in the shrimp and cook for about 2 minutes until just cooked through. Serve in warm bowls topped with rice and green onions.