Everything Gumbo

I love gumbo.  It might be my favorite food.  And when I make gumbo, I put everything I like in it. Why not, right?

 Start by making a roux.  The roux is made using equal parts of flour and oil.  I used 2 cups of each because I was making a big ol' batch of gumbo.

 Dice the holy trinity of Cajun food; celery, onions and green peppers.

 You need some good smoky sausage.  I used andouille and kielbasa.  I always have some in my freezer.

 Slice some okra.  I love okra especially in gumbo.

 Cook the roux over medium heat.

 Keep whisking so it doesn't burn.  You can't use burned roux.  There is just no fixing it.

 See the chestnut color of the roux?  That is the color you want. As soon as it turns that color, turn the heat off and dump in the vegetables.

 Mix it thoroughly to coat all of the vegetables.

 Add some thyme, oregano, granulated garlic and salt and pepper.

 Add about 6 cups of chicken stock, homemade if possible.  I added some bouillon too.Cook over medium heat until it begins to thicken.

 Add 1 can of diced tomatoes and some hot sauce.  I don't make my gumbo too spicy.  I offer hot sauce and let everyone add their own amount of heat.

 I ended up adding more frozen stock.  Add stock until you have the right consistency which should be slightly thick.

Then start adding anything you like.  I roasted some chicken thighs and cut them into cubes and added them.

 Then I added a can of lump crab meat.

And I threw in 2 pounds of frozen shrimp.

 And crab legs...gotta add crab legs!  Yum!  Serve it with a scoop of rice.