From Kentucky, With Love

Back in the early 1990s, I was overcome with a giant case of The Dumbass and went to live with some close friends in Kentucky for a whopping six months. To this day, it’s the only real time I’ve ever spent away from sweet little Las Cruces, New Mexico. While I was there, I absorbed some of life’s greatest lessons: 1) you can’t run away from your problems, 2) line dancing is not as hot as you think it is, and 3) those Southerners sure know how to cook.

Right after I arrived, I went to work at a Winn-Dixie in the illustrious town of Radcliff (just outside of Ft. Knox). Winn-Dixie is a Southeastern grocery store chain, for all of you scratching your heads. Because they paid me just enough to buy a sandwich from Subway and fill my car up with gas, I also worked across the street at Baskin Robbins. They didn’t pay much either, but I ate my fair share of Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream to make up for it.

I met my friend, Holly, at the grocery store and she introduced me to gumbo. Her mother made it, and before I knew Holly, I had never heard of it. In my head, I imagined it was a giant bowl of melted bubble gum that you ate with a spoon. Yuck! When I was invited over to her house to try it, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that gumbo is a hearty, Cajun comfort food that has become a Sunday favorite in my house.

Confession: true Southerners (especially those from Louisiana) will tell you that gumbo without okra is anything but gumbo. Confession: I hate okra unless it is deep-fried. Confession: I don’t make my gumbo with okra.

Yesterday was a bitter, bone-chilling kinda cold here in New Mexico, so I thought a giant batch of gumbo would warm everyone up. Over the years, I’ve tweaked Holly’s mom’s recipe to suit my New Mexico taste buds. Translation: bring on the hot chile!

Here’s how you do it: (Forgive my iPhone photos...the battery in my Nikon was dead, dead, dead!)


Dice up a medium-sized onion along with 3 or 4 stalks of celery. I like to throw in the leafy celery tops, too.



Then roughly chop 2 or 3 boiled chicken breasts. When you're boiling the chicken, be sure to save the chicken stock. You'll need it later.



Next, slice 2 or 3 packages of polish sausage. Set the sausage and the chicken aside for now.



Oops! Almost forgot...dice up 2 or 3 jalapeños or 4 long, hot green chiles.

Here's the important part: the roux. Roux is a funny, temperamental, integral part of your gumbo. It's like a gravy base, but you cook it longer and you can't take your eyes off of it! I mean it...not for one second. It burns in a flash and will ruin all of the goodness you're about to create.



Start with 1/3 cup of all-purpose flour and 1/4 cup of vegetable oil. Blend well and cook over medium-high heat in a large stock pot, stirring constantly.



The stirring motion ensures that every granule of the flour is browning evenly.



Ta da! This is what roux should look like. Some gumbo conoisseurs will tell you that roux should be the deep, rusty color of a penny.



Add to the roux all those veggies you chopped. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Pretend I showed you the 4 cloves of garlic I chopped and added in there, too. Continue to cook until the onions and celery are crisp-tender, about 5 minutes.



Pour 4 to 6 cups of chicken stock in the pot and add in the sausage and chicken. Blend all the ingredients together and add 2 chicken bouillon cubes and a bay leaf. Bring everything to a boil and then reduce the heat and simmer for at least 45 minutes or longer, adding water as necessary.



When it's done, ladel a heaping spoonful of gumbo over a bowl of steamed white rice. Enjoy! I know we did, just after I said a little prayer of thanks that my path crossed with Holly's. Love ya, Holly! And your mom, too.

Here's a copy-and-paste version if you want to print it:

Chicken and Sausage Gumbo


1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup vegetable oil (or any other cooking oil)
1 chopped onion
3 or 4 stalks of celery, sliced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
3 jalapeños, finely chopped (you can substitute green chile, too)
salt and pepper to taste
2 chicken bouillon cubes
16 oz. polish sausage (2 packages)
1 1/2 cups frozen or fresh okra (if you dare)
2 or 3 boiled chicken breasts
1 bay leaf
hot, cooked rice

1. Chop all vegetables and set aside. Slice chicken and sausage and set aside.
2. Add flour and oil to a large stock pot over medium-high heat. Stirring constantly, cook the mixture until the roux is a dark brown.
3. Add vegetables to the roux and cook approximately 5 minutes.
4. Add chicken stock and bouillon cubes.
5. Add chicken and sausage and bring to a rapid boil.
6. Reduce heat and add bay leaf.
7. Cook for 45 minutes to an hour (or longer), adding water when necessary.
8. Serve over steamed white rice.