genesis, with okra, of course

Well, I have not yet made the recipe, but I sure do like her writing style! Rachel Strickland, aka Madame Rex, had promised a gumbo recipe to 32 of her 49 kickstarter backers. You know, those of us willing to put up at least $25 buckaroos.
Cool beans!
I don't know for sure that I should be posting the recipe here, but I'm going to. Why? Well, I misplace things all the time. As long as I have it here, it'll be easy for me to find when I want to treat folks to a unique Cajun dish from a dancer.
So, here goes!

Rachel’s Voodoo Gumbo- the Veggie Version (for Abby)

The great thing about gumbo is you can put whatever you want in it and it tastes awesome. That’s kind of the point- to use whatever you have around. So use this ingredient list as a guideline if you like and feel free to go rogue. Making gumbo is an act of fundamental affection- love away and make it your own invention! But please do not leave out the okra. That's just wrong.

You will need:

One big ass pot
Large cast iron skillet
2-3 cartons of vegetable broth- enough to fill the big ass pot
One package of robust vegetarian sausage, whatever you like (but nothing sweet...gross)
Any other kind of protein you want to use, like cubed tofu or tempeh
Okra- one frozen bag will do, or .5 lb to 1 lb of fresh, chopped up
The holy trinity: one onion, one green pepper, some celery (as many as you like, I use four stalks) all chopped up
Garlic, crushed and chopped
Brown rice
Two tomatoes
Any vegetable based shortening, like Crisco
1/2 to 1 whole cup of white vinegar- to taste
Some flour, white or wheat, finely ground.
Tony Chachere’s creole seasoning (or cayenne, black pepper, and salt will do just fabulously)
Gumbo filé if you can get it (a thickening agent of sassafrass leaves, but you won't miss it if you don't have it)


What you do:

Go ahead and prepare the rice and set it aside. It doesn't need to be hot to serve since it will be covered with scalding gumbo.

Empty two cartons of vegetable broth and the vinegar into the big ass pot and coat the surface with seasonings to your own taste, then stir and put on the stove on medium/medium high heat.

Using the cast iron skillet, heat some olive oil on medium heat. Cube the sausage and toss it in. Brown the sausage, and if you like you can brown any other proteins you want to add. Save whatever oil collects in the pan. Once protein is browned, add it to the big ass pot of simmering veggie broth.

After about 5 minutes taste the broth and add seasonings if you need to. You can add spice to make it hotter, or add more veggie broth to calm it down. I like to cover the surface of the gumbo with Tony’s (or whatever I have) twice while cooking. Please note that Tony's is very salty so if you're not a sodiumphile, go with cayenne and black pepper. You can also add some gumbo filé now too.

Now you hafta make a roux. Otherwise known as cajun napalm.

Go back to your big iron skillet and whatever oil you managed to collect in it from the veggie sausages. Add a scoop of shortening, about 1/2 cup, and heat it slowly until it smokes. As soon as it starts to smoke, sprinkle flour over the surface and whisk. You have to babysit a roux, whisking pretty much the whole time, or it will burn and taste gross. Keep adding flour little bit by bit until you have a thin sauce-like consistency. I believe that the roux is the soul of a gumbo so do try to think happy thoughts while doing it. Making roux while you're unhappy is bad mojo.
The color is also important to note here. It will begin at a light caramel and darken the longer it’s heated (stirring all the time with a whisk). The darker the roux, the deeper the voodoo and the more intense the flavor. In my opinion anything lighter than a milk chocolate is unacceptable, but this is your party. For best results keep stirring the roux until it’s almost the color of dark chocolate or a heavy thunderstorm.

Then pour the roux into the big ass pot. NOTE: I’ve just asked you to pour very hot oil into water. USE CAUTION. Pour slowly and stand back, using a lid as a shield if you need to. It will hiss, spit, and spray. I’m sure there is a safer way to do this but the drama of this way appeals to me, so it’s the only way I know how. Please don’t get napalmed by the roux because it will take your skin right off. Take a second to appreciate how the texture and color of the broth immediately becomes more fascinating.

With the skillet still coated in roux, transfer it immediately back to the heat, add the garlic, chopped onions, and a little olive oil. Stir till coated and then cook until it is slightly burnt on the edges. Add to big ass pot.

Now add the chopped peppers, celery, okra, and any other vegetable you wish to include. Bring to a rolling boil, then reduce heat to a low boil and you can cover it to prevent evaporation. If you need more liquid, add more vegetable stock or even just water.

To add the tomatoes, dunk them one at a time into the boiling gumbo for about 30 seconds. Then you can peel them easily and squish them into a bowl. Dump it in and watch the red color disperse beautifully.

Taste it after it's cooked for 10 minutes or more, and add spices as you see fit. Let it simmer on low for at least 20 minutes if you can't wait any longer. The longer it's all in the liquid together, the better it tastes. Also you don't want to overboil it so the vegetables turn to mush. But it will taste amazing today and even better tomorrow. Serve over a heap of rice in a bowl, to people you love (or would like to).
--
Rachel Strickland
MadameRex.com

I don't know about the okra, but I'm willing to give it a try.
I already have the gumbo filé.
(No, you don't do your fingernails with it.)
Check your phone messages for an invite!
Meanwhile, the video should be here very soon!
Hopefully in time for my LIV birthday!