Best 8 Chicago Gumbo Recipes

GOOD NEW ORLEANS CREOLE GUMBO

Steps:

• Make a roux by whisking the flour and 3/4 cup bacon drippings together in a large, heavy saucepan over medium-low heat to form a smooth mixture. Cook the roux, whisking constantly, until it turns a rich mahogany brown color. This can take 20 to 30 minutes; watch heat carefully and whisk constantly or roux will burn. Remove from heat; continue whisking until mixture stops cooking.
• Place the celery, onion, green bell pepper, and garlic into the work bowl of a food processor, and pulse until the vegetables are very finely chopped. Stir the vegetables into the roux, and mix in the sausage. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium-low heat, and cook until vegetables are tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat, and set aside.
• Bring the water and beef bouillon cubes to a boil in a large Dutch oven or soup pot. Stir until the bouillon cubes dissolve, and whisk the roux mixture into the boiling water. Reduce heat to a simmer, and mix in the sugar, salt, hot pepper sauce, Cajun seasoning, bay leaves, thyme, stewed tomatoes, and tomato sauce. Simmer the soup over low heat for 1 hour; mix in 2 teaspoons of file gumbo powder at the 45-minute mark.
• Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons of bacon drippings in a skillet, and cook the okra with vinegar over medium heat for 15 minutes; remove okra with slotted spoon, and stir into the simmering gumbo. Mix in crabmeat, shrimp, and Worcestershire sauce, and simmer until flavors have blended, 45 more minutes. Just before serving, stir in 2 more teaspoons of file gumbo powder.

AUTHENTIC CAJUN GUMBO

Steps:

• Place the first 11 ingredients in a stockpot; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 1-1/2 hours., Remove chicken and allow to cool. Strain broth, discarding vegetables; skim fat. Remove meat from bones; cut chicken into bite-size pieces and set aside. Discard bones., In the same pan, cook and stir oil and flour over medium heat until caramel-colored, about 14 minutes (do not burn). Add finely chopped onion; cook and stir 2 minutes longer. Gradually stir in broth. Bring to a boil., Carefully stir in sausage and reserved chicken. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Stir in okra and oysters. Simmer, uncovered, 10-15 minutes longer or just until okra is tender. Stir in file powder. Serve with rice.

TONY GARNIER'S GUMBO

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Season duck with salt, black pepper and cayenne to taste. Place in a deep roasting pan, and roast until the meat releases most of the fat, about an hour. Reserve the duck meat (cool, cover, and refrigerate) and allow the pan juices to settle. Carefully pour 1 1/2 cups clear duck fat from the pan into a large measuring cup. If there is less than a cup of duck fat, add enough vegetable oil to make 1 cup. Discard fat and juices remaining in pan. Duck meat and fat may be prepared a day ahead, and stored, covered, in the refrigerator.
• Prepare a roux: In a heavy 4-quart saucepan over medium-low heat, warm the duck fat. Slowly add flour, stirring constantly. After about 10 minutes, mixture will have the consistency of thick gravy. If it is too thick, add a small amount of vegetable oil. Continue to stir, adjusting heat (or removing pan from stove, if necessary) to prevent flour from burning. Continue to stir constantly as the mixture gradually darkens to the color of milk chocolate, about 30 minutes. Remove from flame, and let mixture settle for about 10 minutes. Pour off and discard oil that has separated from roux. Roux may be prepared a day ahead, and stored, covered, in the refrigerator.
• Place pan with roux over medium heat. Add onions, celery, 1 tablespoon garlic, and half the bell pepper. Cook about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add okra. Cook, stirring, an additional 15 minutes.
• In a large stockpot, bring chicken or vegetable stock to a full boil. Pour about 4 cups of stock into roux mixture, and stir well. Pour all of roux mixture into stockpot. Bring to a boil, and add celery salt, cloves, allspice, bay leaves and Worcestershire. Boil uncovered for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 1 1/2 hours. Add duck to stockpot, and return to a simmer.
• Slice sausage into rounds. In a small skillet over medium heat, brown sausage until the fat is cooked out. Remove sausage from fat, and add to stockpot. Continue simmering for an additional 1 1/2 hours.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Season chicken with salt, black pepper and cayenne. Place in a roasting pan, and bake until juices run clear when meat is pierced, about 40 minutes. Add chicken to stockpot. Simmer an additional 45 minutes.
• About 15 minutes before serving time, place a large skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil, remaining garlic, remaining bell peppers and shrimp. Saute briefly, about 2 minutes. Add to stockpot. Add scallions and parsley, and adjust seasonings if necessary. To serve, ladle over bowls of rice. Sprinkle about 1/4 teaspoon file powder in each bowl, and stir. Serve immediately.

GUMBO..... GEORGIA STYLE!

Steps:

• In a heavy deep soup pot, heat olive oil on med/hi heat. Open 1 can of broth for standby, put onion and celery into oil stir until all are coated with oil. Let simmer, when they start to sweat and oil starts to dissipate add small amounts of broth to soften veggies, after 5 minutes add in Okra (USE CUT UP KIND). Add remainder of broth; bring to a boil for 10 minutes. With a measuring cup, scoop out ¼ cup (+/-) of broth and set aside. Add in remainder of ingredients EXCEPT Shrimp and Flour. Let simmer for about 20 minutes.
• Mix ¼ cup of flour into reserved broth and mix until it is no longer lumpy. Mixture should be thick but still liquid. Pour into gumbo and simmer until okra is soft. Add shrimp, turn heat off, cover and let sit for 5 minutes, shrimp will cook in the heat of the gumbo.
• Serve with rice.

HEAVEN ON SEVEN GUMBO RECIPE - (4/5)

Steps:

• Heat oil in a 4-quart dutch oven over high heat until very hot, about 3 minutes. Carefully whisk in the flour a little at a time until all the flour is incorporated. (The mixture will foam up as you add the flour, so add a small amount at a time.) Reduce the heat to medium and stir continuously, preferably with a flat-edged wooded spoon, for 22 to 25 minutes, until the roux is a dark brown. To prevent the roux from cooking any further, carefully pour it into a heat-proof bowl and cool for 45 minutes. Drain of any oil that separates from the roux. Store the roux in a covered container and refrigerate Directions Toss the chicken and 4 teaspoons of the Cajun seasoning together in a medium-seized bowl and set aside. In a large (7-quart) heavy Dutch oven, preferable enameled cast iron, heat the oil over high heat. When the oil is hot but not smoking, add the andouille and brown for 6 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the seasoned chicken and cook for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Mix in the bell pepper, celery, jalapeno, and garlic puree, and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the basil, oregano, ground black and white peppers, red pepper flakes, bay leaf, and remaining ½ teaspoon of Cajun seasoning; cook for 2 minutes more. Pour in the stock and bring to a boil. Whisk in the roux a little at a time and stir continuously for 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and simmer uncovered for 1 hour, stirring occasionally to prevent the mixture from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Remove from the heat and stir in the filé powder. Do not let the mixture boil once you have added the filé powder. Remove the bay leaf. Serve with cooked white rice. Serves 6 people Note: While all recipes on this site are from the restaurant indicated, the photo for the recipe (in some cases) is not the actual dish from the restaurant. If restaurants would like to submit a photograph for their recipe, please send us an email. Roasted garlic puree: Preheat the oven toe 300° F. Place the garlic in a small ovenproof container and pour in the oil. Use additional oil if needed to completely immerse all the garlic cloves. Cover the container with aluminum foil and roast for 1 hour, until garlic is soft and light golden brown. Reserve the remaining garlic-infused oil in another container and refrigerate.

REAL CAJUN GUMBO (FROM A LOUISIANAIAN)

Steps:

• Using a sharp boning knife cut the stewing hen into 8-10 serving pieces.
• Remove as much of the fat from the chicken as possible.
• Cut andouille into ½-inch slices and set aside.
• In a 2-gallon stockpot, heat oil over medium-high heat.
• Whisk in flour, stirring constantly until golden brown roux is achieved. Do not scorch. Should black specks appear, discard and begin again.
• Add onions, celery, bell pepper and garlic. Sauté 3-5 minutes or until vegetables are wilted.
• Blend in chicken and andouille. Sauté approximately 15 minutes.
• Add chicken stock, one ladle at a time, stirring constantly until all is incorporated.
• Bring to a rolling boil, reduce to simmer and cook approximately 1 hour.
• Skim any fat or oil that rises to the top of the pot.
• Add green onions, bay leaf, thyme and basil.
• Season to taste using salt, pepper and hot sauce.
• Cook an additional 30 minutes or longer if necessary, until chicken is tender and falling apart.
• Add parsley and adjust seasonings if necessary.
• Serve over hot, steamed white rice.
• NOTE: You may wish to boil the chicken 1-2 hours prior to beginning the gumbo to tenderize the meat. Reserve this stock, bone the chicken and use the meat and stock in the gumbo.

CHICKEN GUMBO WOW

Steps:

• Heat a pan over medium-high heat. Add onion, bell pepper, and garlic; saute until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add shredded chicken and Creole seasoning. Mix thoroughly. Add tomatoes, chicken broth, corn, and sausage. Reduce heat and simmer until flavors come together, about 20 minutes.

GUMBO

Steps:

• Heat a medium skillet over medium-high heat; add flour. Toast, stirring frequently, until deep golden brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate to stop it from cooking.
• Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add sausage and cook, stirring often, until browned, about 5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon, transfer to a large bowl, and reserve. Add the chicken, and brown, turning once, about 5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon, and add to the bowl with the sausage. Add the pepper, onion, and celery to the Dutch oven. Season with salt and pepper, and cook until softened, about 4 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon, and add to the sausage and chicken.
• Reduce heat to medium-low, and add the butter to the Dutch oven. Once melted, sprinkle in the toasted flour, and stir until combined. Continue cooking until bubbles form and mixture becomes very thick and dark brown, about 4 minutes. Add the stock, tomatoes, okra, thyme, bay leaf, and reserved meat and vegetables. Raise heat and bring to a boil; let simmer, uncovered, until chicken is tender and liquid has thickened, about 1 1/4 hours. Remove thyme, and serve hot over rice.