Turkey and Sausage Gumbo

Soup, stew and gumbo are favorites. I love to cook them and I love to eat them. Contrary to what some folks believe, I don’t consider cold weather  the only fittin’ time for eating soup, stew and gumbo. We eat them year round.  I’m a sucker for anything that cooks in one pot. Even if the prep requires several cooking implements and vessels, you can wash  them up and be done before you’re ready to sit down and eat your meal. Also, if you’re putting everything in one pot, you don’t have the worry of synchronization for all your dishes’ finish time. When the pot’s done, it’s time to eat! Turkey and Sausage Gumbo is a favorite way to use leftover turkey.

I serve a lot of stews and gumbos over rice. That’s no big deal. Cook the rice and then let it sit until you’re ready to eat.

Gumbo is easily personalized to your taste preferences. Substitute the major protein for your favorite and make necessary cooking adjustments. For example, shrimp and crab should be added raw and cooked just until done. Swap out turkey for chicken. Use your favorite sausage. Andouille sausage is classic in Cajun gumbo recipes but you can use others.

I use a heaping gob of okra because we love it.

I use a country-style smoked sausage because we love it.

I serve it over Basmati rice because we love it.

Make gumbo the way you love it. It’s versatile and happy accommodate your tastes preferences. Gumbo is nice like that

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Turkey and Sausage Gumbo

yield: 8 to 10 servings

I substituted smoked country sausage for traditional andouille sausage used in Cajun gumbo. Mix and match the main protein or type of sausage to match your taste preference of your food cravings.

2 quarts of chicken or turkey stock

1/2 pound smoked sausage, sliced in 1/2 inch slices

Additional cooking oil or bacon grease to make 1/2 cup, if needed

2 sweet onions, diced

1 green bell pepper, diced

3 to 4 celery stalks, diced. Use celery leaves, too, if you have them

3 to 4 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup cooking oil or bacon grease

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

2 (14 ounce) cans diced tomatoes, or whole tomatoes, or tomato puree or crushed tomatoes. Use whatever you have on hand.

2 to 4 cups cooked turkey, diced or shredded

2 pounds sliced, raw, frozen okra

cooked rice

Taste the finished stock before adding other ingredients and adjust for seasoning.  If it’s too salty, add some water. Simmer stock on medium low heat.

Place sliced sausage in a medium hot cast iron skillet.  Cook until the fat renders and the sausage is brown.

With a slotted spoon, remove sausage to stock pot.

Carefully measure the sausage renderings (the stuff is hot!). Add cooking oil or baking drippings to equal 1/2 cup total. Pour back into cast iron skillet over medium heat.  Add onions, bell pepper and celery to hot grease.  Cook until vegetables are soft, about 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add diced garlic and cook an additional two minutes.

Add cooked vegetables to stock pot.

Add an additionally 1/2 cup cooking oil or bacon grease to the skillet. Turn heat up to medium high..

Whisk in 1/2 cup flour.   You are just gonna have to stand there and stir the stuff until it’s browned.  Don’t get distracted. Stir oil and flour until the color resembles peanut butter which is take about 10 minutes. Congratulations! You’ve just made roux!

Add roux to stockpot carefully. It will create steam when the roux hits the liquid.  Add a small amount of stock to the skillet to deglaze it.  It doesn’t matter if you get bits of vegetables and sausage.  It won’t hurt anything.  Stir and pour into stockpot.

Add tomatoes and turkey to stockpot. Cover and simmer over medium low heat for 30 minutes.

Add okra, cover and bring back up to a simmer.  Cook for an hour.

Taste for seasoning and adjust, if needed.

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4.42 from 12 votes

Turkey and Sausage Gumbo

Author: Jackie Garvin

Ingredients

• Turkey and Sausage Gumbo
• yield: 8 to 10 servings
• I substituted smoked country sausage for traditional andouille sausage used in Cajun gumbo. Mix and match the main protein or type of sausage to match your taste preference of your food cravings.
• 2 quarts of chicken or turkey stock
• 1/2 pound smoked sausage sliced in 1/2 inch slices
• Additional cooking oil or bacon grease to make 1/2 cup if needed
• 2 sweet onions diced
• 1 green bell pepper diced
• 3 to 4 celery stalks diced. Use celery leaves, too, if you have them
• 3 to 4 cloves garlic minced
• 1/2 cup cooking oil or bacon grease
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 14 ounce cans diced tomatoes, or whole tomatoes, or tomato puree or crushed tomatoes. Use whatever you have on hand.
• 2 to 4 cups cooked turkey diced or shredded
• 2 pounds sliced raw, frozen okra
• cooked rice

Instructions

• Taste the finished stock before adding other ingredients and adjust for seasoning. If it's too salty, add some water. Simmer stock on medium low heat.
• Place sliced sausage in a medium hot cast iron skillet. Cook until the fat renders and the sausage is brown.
• With a slotted spoon, remove sausage to stock pot.
• Carefully measure the sausage renderings (the stuff is hot!). Add cooking oil or baking drippings to equal 1/2 cup total. Pour back into cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add onions, bell pepper and celery to hot grease. Cook until vegetables are soft, about 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add diced garlic and cook an additional two minutes.
• Add cooked vegetables to stock pot.
• Add an additionally 1/2 cup cooking oil or bacon grease to the skillet. Turn heat up to medium high..
• Whisk in 1/2 cup flour. You are just gonna have to stand there and stir the stuff until it's browned. Don't get distracted. Stir oil and flour until the color resembles peanut butter which is take about 10 minutes. Congratulations! You've just made roux!
• Add roux to stockpot carefully. It will create steam when the roux hits the liquid. Add a small amount of stock to the skillet to deglaze it. It doesn't matter if you get bits of vegetables and sausage. It won't hurt anything. Stir and pour into stockpot.
• Add tomatoes and turkey to stockpot. Cover and simmer over medium low heat for 30 minutes.
• Add okra, cover and bring back up to a simmer. Cook for an hour.
• Taste for seasoning and adjust, if needed.
• Serve over rice.

Tried this recipe?Mention @syrupandbiscuits or tag #syrupandbiscuits!

Serve over rice.

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