Mikee's First Edition Cajun Style Gumbo - Made in Maine

2009 has started off kinda strange for me. I had a thought the other day (NO! that's not the strange part!!) that I really wanted some cajun gumbo. Those of you who know me well - know that I don't cook. I might make myself a bowl of cold milk and mini-wheats for breakfast but that is about it. But I really like cajun style food and the thought of some gooood gumbo just wouldn't go away. So whataya gonna do if you crave gumbo and you live in Maine? - why you go to the store and buy a bunch of stuff and throw it all together and then eat it - I think they call it - cooking!

When I told Peggy I was thinking of making some gumbo she immediately took advantage of the situation and challenged me. Off to the internet I went to find some instructions for making gumbo - I think they call it a "recipe." I found a couple of recipes that both sounded pretty good so I decided that I would use some of one and a little of the other. Then I had to make a list of stuff I needed - cooks call this stuff "ingredients." But they make up some pretty strange names for this stuff like parsley, thyme, okra, and roux. After making my list we headed to the grocery store where I gathered all the ingredients I needed. I think it must be hard to find okra in Maine in the dead of winter because that stuff is more expensive than heating oil! Oh well - when you want some gumbo - ya gotta pay the price I guess. While we at the store I also bought some wine. I remember watching a cooking show where Justin Wilson - the Cajun Cook would make his gumbo (or whatever else he was making) and was always adding some wine (and drinking some as well) - so I figured if I was going to be a serious cook - I needed some serious wine.

Yesterday was gumbo making day so I engaged the services of my trusty cooking assistant - Miss Peggy and went to it. I learned that the secret to a great gumbo is the roux. Roux is a fancy french name for fat mixed with some flour. But of course it's not that easy mon ami. You must carefully heat the fat (canola oil in my case) while slowly mixing in the flour and constantly stirring or you will burn the roux and then you have to start over. Who ever thought this cooking stuff could be so difficult?!

So after making the roux, sauteing the vegetables (okra, celery, onion, green pepper), adding some water, adding diced tomatoes and then some spices (parsley, basil, thyme, salt, and pepper) - now we had something that was starting to look and smell pretty good. But it wasn't gumbo yet - next we added some sliced and sauteed kielbasa. At this point I decided that the brew needed to simmer for a few hours and then sit overnight in the frig so it could do whatever such mixtures do to mix all those flavors together. I also decided that the wine would have to wait until tomorrow when the final gumbo making steps were taken - so a martini sufficed while I stirred and sniffed.

Today was gumbo eating day! So back on the stove went yesterday's brew with a couple pounds of shrimp added in, made some rice (I found out that rice is pretty easy to make if you follow the directions on the box - I have no clue what I would have done without the box), and heated some french bread. Oh yeah - and opened the wine!!

Two of my favorite girls (Peggy and Stacy) happen to be at the house so I treated them to some of Mikee's First Edition Cajun Style Gumbo - Made in Maine.

I think it turned out pretty good! After adding some Tabasco sauce to taste - I think it rivaled some of the better gumbos I have had in New Orleans - including at Emeril's! - But then I am a bit prejudiced I guess.