I had gumbo for the first time a couple weeks ago.

Now, if you know anything at all about my extended family, you know what a crazy thing that is for me to say. My dad’s mom, Marie, was renowned for her gumbo.

She’d make an enormous pot of it – enough to feed at least 20 hungry people – for every holiday and special event. I can remember just how the house smelled and how excited my cousins would get on gumbo nights.

Problem is, I’m allergic to shrimp. And if you know anything at all about south Mississippi, you know that there is no gumbo without shrimp.

So gumbo nights held no real joy for me. I’d eat a bowl of rice – with the requisite drizzle of Ranch dressing if I could get it. And I’d feel sorry for myself, of course. (Self-pity was one of my special skills, especially in childhood.)

So I hadn’t really thought about gumbo for years when my friend Rowan called to see if we had any extra okra she could throw in a pot of hers.

Did we have any extra okra? Does a bear poop in the woods? Why yes, YES, we had extra okra. In fact, I gave her more than she’d bargained for. After all, every pod she ate was one pod less that I’d need to prep and cook.

And while I forced more and more okra into her bag and we chatted, Zayley mentioned that she’d never had gumbo. I hadn’t really thought about it before that moment. And – truth be told – I forgot almost immediately.

But Rowan didn’t forget. A few hours later, she showed up on my front porch again, this time with a warm container of chicken and sausage gumbo over rice and a side of cornbread.

“This is for Zayley,” she said. “I wanted her to try gumbo.”

(I’m telling you, if you don’t have a Rowan in your life, get yourself one immediately. But not mine. She’s busy.)

As luck would have it, the gumbo slipped Zayley’s mind for the next couple days. And on the third morning, I was searching in the fridge for something to pack for lunch.

There were no leftovers left over. We were out of bread.

Things were looking desperate when I spied… Zayley’s gumbo.

I am sorry to admit, dear reader, that I packed it. And I ate it.

And I do not regret it.

I texted Rowan right away to admit my sin but also to ask for her recipe.

But, like me, Rowan cooks more by feel than anything else. She gave me a basic understanding of what she does, and I searched YouTube to find out the particulars.

And that’s how I stumbled upon this hack for a nearly-instant roux. The folks at America’s Test Kitchen invented it, and it took my notion of making gumbo out of the realm of idyllic fantasy and into my actual kitchen. (Not all recipes make the jump, I can tell you.)

The recipe as it is below is essentially the ATK recipe with the addition of okra. I plan to try the ATK roux with my grandma’s recipe (sans shrimp) next.

SHORTCUT GUMBO

Ingredients
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped bell pepper
1 cup chopped celery
1 Tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon paprika
1 Tablespoon fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 bay leaves
4 cup chicken broth, divided
1 package andouille or smoked sausage, diced
1-2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
Okra, to taste (I used about 2 cups chopped)

Directions
■ Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place flour in oven-safe stainless steel skillet or shiny metal pan. Bake flour at 425 for 45-55 minutes, until it reaches the color of cinnamon. (My flour clumped up as it baked; I would recommend stirring the flour every 15-20 minutes to prevent this from happening to you.) When flour is fully baked, transfer immediately to a large mixing bowl. Break up any clumps. Add 2 cups chicken broth and blend completely. Set aside.
■ While flour bakes, in Dutch oven or stockpot, heat oil over medium heat until it is shimmery. Add chopped sausage and brown. Add chopped onion, bell pepper, and celery. Sauté vegetables until they begin to soften. Add seasonings and cook for about one minute. Add 2 cups chicken broth. Nestle boneless, skinless chicken thighs into pot. Simmer, covered, for 15-20 minutes until chicken is cooked through. Remove chicken to plate. Chop or shred chicken when it is cool enough to handle safely.
■ Add flour and broth mixture to the pot. Add chicken back to the pot. Taste for seasonings and add salt if desired. Add okra. Cover and simmer until okra is done to desired tenderness, about 15 minutes.

Amelia Plair is a mom and high school teacher in Starkville. Email reaches her at [email protected].

Amelia Plair is a Starkville resident who writes occasional food columns.

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