Cajun Meets Fresh

When I was a kid, my grandfather would take trips down to Louisiana for a few days, and he would come back with several cooler loads of crawfish, gator and other seafood. We would all gather at his house with the smells of semi-authentic Cajun food filling the air. Granddad never worked off a recipe, but everything was always delicious. When I cook my Gumbo now, it takes me back to those halcyon days, and life does not seem better than when I take a great big, spicy bite!

Gumbo (Simple)

Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons of Butter
2 Tablespoons of Flour
2 Bay Leaves
4 Carrots, Diced
3 Stalks of Celery, Diced
1 Onion, Diced
5 Green Onions, Chopped
3 Cloves of Garlic, Minced
2 Thai Hot Peppers
1 lb. of Andouille or Chorizo
1 lb. Crawfish
3 Tomatoes, Diced
1 lb. Okra, Chopped
1 Can of Chicken Stock
1 Pinch of Red Pepper Flakes
1 Teaspoon Cumin
Salt and Pepper to Taste

Separately prepare some risotto or arborio rice.

Cooking:
In a big Dutch Oven, on medium heat, toss in your flour, bay leaves, some cracked black pepper, and butter. Stir often until the butter is the color of cafe au lait. Add in your carrots, celery, onion, green onions, Thai Hot Peppers and garlic. Take the links of sausage and pinch out 1" balls of meat into the vegetables. Cook until the vegetables are translucent, continue stirring often. Next toss in your okra and tomatoes, with the tomato juices and seeds. Cook for approximately 3 more minutes. Add in the chicken broth, crawfish, red pepper flakes, and cumin. Simmer on low for 15-20 minutes, or until the crawfish are pink and cooked through. Add salt to taste.
Grab a bowl, spoon in some rice and pour some Gumbo on top!