Alabama Gumbo

This dish is very popular and a regular on many menus here in the Southern US. It can be served as a starter or as a main course. I made this last Friday afternoon. I like to take it over the top and use chicken, shrimp, sausage, crab and fish; I've been known to throw in a little alligator or a local bass I've caught from a neighborhood pond..(bass ..mind you..I've never caught an alligator) Many use the traditional andouille sausage, I prefer an organic chicken and apple sausage that's a little sweet and made with chardonnay, seafood..mostly shrimp and crab but you can use any fish you like. Gumbo is an African term for okra and File' Gumbo is a powder made from dried okra and used for thickening soups and stews I make large batches of Gumbo here at home and freeze some for tired nights and weekends when I don't feel like extended runs in the kitchen. I serve gumbo with a dab of rice steaming hot..It goes great with cornbread and ice tea with freshly picked mint from the edge of the porch..aka stoop cause you have to stoop to sit.... Ice cold beer aint too slack with this either Pardon the euphemisms.. I can't help it sometimes This is Alabama ..I do miss Boston but not the winters. I can remember trying to find grits and okra at Star Market in Sudbury. My pop UPS'd some okra from his garden and I cooked a country meal for friends.. over an open fireplace........They'd never had BBQ ribs, field peas with snaps and okra or fried green tomatoes ...much less gumbo and cornbread My friends enjoyed my cooking and often appeared around meal time I've made this dish so many times... I can put one together in 15-20 minutes

This dish is very popular and a regular on many menus here in the Southern US. It can be served as a starter or as a main course. I made this last Friday afternoon. I like to take it over the top and use chicken, shrimp, sausage, crab and fish; I've been known to throw in a little alligator or a local bass I've caught from a neighborhood pond..(bass ..mind you..I've never caught an alligator) Many use the traditional andouille sausage, I prefer an organic chicken and apple sausage that's a little sweet and made with chardonnay, seafood..mostly shrimp and crab but you can use any fish you like. Gumbo is an African term for okra and File' Gumbo is a powder made from dried okra and used for thickening soups and stews I make large batches of Gumbo here at home and freeze some for tired nights and weekends when I don't feel like extended runs in the kitchen. I serve gumbo with a dab of rice steaming hot..It goes great with cornbread and ice tea with freshly picked mint from the edge of the porch..aka stoop cause you have to stoop to sit.... Ice cold beer aint too slack with this either Pardon the euphemisms.. I can't help it sometimes This is Alabama ..I do miss Boston but not the winters. I can remember trying to find grits and okra at Star Market in Sudbury. My pop UPS'd some okra from his garden and I cooked a country meal for friends.. over an open fireplace........They'd never had BBQ ribs, field peas with snaps and okra or fried green tomatoes ...much less gumbo and cornbread My friends enjoyed my cooking and often appeared around meal time I've made this dish so many times... I can put one together in 15-20 minutes