Change in Direction & Some Gumbo

I've been very very into cooking lately, so I've decided to blog about that for a while.... I don't generally use recipes or measure unless baking. Who knows where the wind will take me next with this blog.

Here's the Gumbo I made last weekend.

Susan’s Gumbo
2 T olive oil
2 t flour
On medium low heat, cook the olive oil and flour together to make a roux. This will take 15+ minutes. Watch carefully to avoid burning and stir every couple minutes. It will turn a lovely peanuty color. Take off heat when done.
1 large onion diced
same amount of carrots diced
same amount of celery diced (I didn’t have any and so left it out this time.)
about 2/3’s the amount of green or red pepper diced
2-3 cloves garlic crushed
1 T olive oil
½ t thyme
salt
pepper
hot sauce – to taste
Saute veggies and garlic and seasonings in olive oil until sweated down and slightly brown.
2-3 cups chicken stock
½ cup dry white wine
water
1-2 boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs
6-9" smoked turkey sausage
Add roux.
Add liquid and meats. Cook for about ½ hour until chicken is done. Remove chicken, cube and return to soup. Cook soup for 2-3 hours. Add water as needed. If it seems too thin, towards the end combine 1-2 T cornstarch with some of the broth in a small bowl and add to the end of the cooking time.
20-30 pieces of okra cut in ½" slices
Add okra IMMEDIATELY after cutting (or it will get gummy). Cook soup for an additional ½ hour or so until okra is tender.
This freezes very well. Serve with hot rice (leftover is okay). This time I made corn muffins from a Jiffy mix with some cheese added and crumbled them into the soup.