Just like a good family recipe stands the test of time over generations, a delicious dinner is well worth the wait of a lengthier cook time for a soulful dish that's full of flavor and love.
While "Good Morning America" Food typically hones in on fast and easy weeknight dinner recipes, this week's rendition takes more time, but develops deep flavor and connects to Kysha Harris' rich family history. Plus, it can be a batched dish to eat over and over throughout the week.
Harris shared her grandmother's recipe for Louisiana Creole gumbo for Black History Month, can also be prepped in stages or placed in a slow cooker in the morning so it's ready for dinner.
"What I inherently knew was all of the foundational elements of any Creole gumbo: roux, the Holy Trinity, okra, and canned tomatoes," Harris said of this dish. "I can close my eyes now and instantly see Nannie in her housedress and wig, diligently stirring the roux in the black cast iron pan until it was a beautiful chocolate color, taking special care not to burn it."
Harris said her grandmother par-cooked the okra in the same cast iron pan as the roux, versus adding it directly to the gumbo pot, that she called "roping."
Tomatoes are the fundamental difference between a Creole and a Cajun gumbo, according to Harris, who is all for adding the vibrant red nightshades.
Check out her full recipe below and give it a go in your own kitchen.
Cook: 2 hrs 40 mins
Servings: 8 servings, 3 quarts
Ingredients
For the stock
1 quart low sodium chicken broth
4 large live blue crabs, cooked and cleaned, outer shell reserved (or frozen cooked crabs) OR 1 pound lump crab meat, picked through for shells
1 pound large, U-26, shrimp, cleaned, shells reserved
For the roux
1/2 cup canola oil, or lard or vegetable shortening
1/2 cup flour
For the gumbo
1 large onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 medium green bell pepper, seeded and diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons creole seasoning, Lawry's or Old Bay, plus more to taste
1 15-ounces canned whole tomatoes
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
5 dashes hot sauce, plus more to taste
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 leaf bay leaf
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 pound stew beef, cut in 1-inch cubes and seasoned with salt and pepper at least one hour prior to starting the recipe, if not overnight
1 pound bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, seasoned with salt and pepper at least one hour prior to starting the recipe, if not overnight
1 1/2 cups sliced fresh okra, about 6 ounces
Kosher salt, to taste
Freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
Cooked white rice, preferably short-grain Carolina rice, for serving
Sliced green onions, for garnish
Directions
Note: Bring beef and chicken to room temperature before beginning the recipe.
Make the stock. To a large sauce pan add chicken broth, shrimp shells, and outer crab shells (if using), cover, and set over medium-low heat. When it comes to a boil, adjust the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Simmer covered for 20 minutes and keep on low until ready for use.
Make the roux. Add oil to a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat and sprinkle in flour while whisking. Continue whisking until it turns a milk chocolate color, 16 to 18 minutes. Don't walk away during this step.
When the roux is ready, add the Trinity (the onion, celery, and bell pepper), garlic, and Creole seasoning. Sauté until onions are translucent, 6 to 8 minutes.
Strain the chicken-seafood stock. Discard the seafood shells.
Deglaze the gumbo pot with with half of the stock. Add the can of whole tomatoes, crushing each by hand over the pot, plus its liquid.
Add Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, thyme, and bay leaf. Bring it to a boil and reduce it to a simmer.
Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a cast iron pan over medium-high heat. Sear stew beef, in batches if needed, and move directly into the gumbo pot when done.
In the same cast iron pan, sear the seasoned chicken thighs, skin-side down first, until golden on both sides, about 10 minutes total, moving them to the gumbo pot when done.
In the same cast iron pan, add the okra to the rendered chicken fat, and season with salt and pepper and/or more Creole seasoning.
Sauté okra until verdant and the viscous texture subsides, about 8 minutes. (This is known as "roping.") Add okra to the gumbo pot.
Add remaining chicken-seafood stock to cover the ingredients. If the ingredients are not covered by the stock, add water.
Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for 30-45 minutes, giving a good stir and taste every 15 minutes. Season with more Creole seasoning, salt, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, black pepper as needed for your taste.
Remove thyme stems and bay leaf. Gently remove chicken thighs from the gumbo pot to a cutting board. Remove bones and skin, cut into rough chunks and add the meat back into the gumbo pot.
If the thighs have fallen apart, just remove the bones (the same number of thighs you added) and the skins you can easily find.
If using lump crab, skip this step. On a cutting board, crack cooked and cleaned blue crabs in half. Then, with a mallet or the back of the blade of a chefs knife, gently crack both joints of the claws.
Add crab and shrimp to the gumbo pot, cover, and simmer for 6 to 8 minutes.
Prepare a serving over cooked white rice, making sure each serving gets at least half of a crab. Garnish with scallions and hot sauce(s) for diners to spice to their taste.
Recipe reprinted courtesy of Kysha Harris/The Spruce Eats.