Marilyn’s Charleston Gumbo

We’ve been home for a week but I’m still dreaming about Marilyn’s Charleston Gumbo.  Most of the meal recipes we share here include some element of canning and preservation.  For example, we may suggest adding salsa to spice up an omellette or orange marmalade cake with a chocolate glaze but rarely do we just share a meal recipe.  However, an exception is in order with this one because Marilyn’s gumbo is out of this world!

Marilyn, has been a family friend  for over 20 years.  And, she is the cook responsible for introducing me to one of my favorite southern dishes, gumbo.  Every time we  plan a visit to see family and friends in Florida, my mom makes sure to notify  Marilyn and to take her a hambone with the soul purpose of being part of her gumbo creation.  The rest of the magic occurs in Marilyn’s kitchen where she confesses  “the recipe changes every single time depending on my mood and the ingredients on hand.”  Inspite of her ever changing recipe, the constant is the down home southern goodness that makes your heart and mouth sing with every mouthful. Marilyn’s gumbo is the best and even now sitting here writting this I’m wishing there was a pot of it heating on the stove.

As we sat down to enjoy a steaming bowl of gumbo over rice, Marilyn chuckled as she remembered that this meal was a childhood favorite, a staple part of every Sunday dinner.  Marilyn recalled, when she was ten “Everyone made gumbo.  Aunt Mamie, Aunt Essie, Aunt Maggie, everyone!  But your recipe is your own and devaition is allowed!”  It’s amazing how sharing a meal can create such powerful experiences and memories that last a lifetime.  The four of us laughed and ate and ate some more.  It was a wonderful night with a dear family friend. 

MARILYN’S CHARLESTON GUMBO:

• hambone or hamhock
• sausage, chicken, and/or cooked shrimp (approximately 3 spicy sausages, 2 chicken breasts, and/or 20 shrimp)
• 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes
• 1 jar (19 oz can or 500mL/pint jar) of tomato sauce (and more if needed at the end)
• 16 oz bag of frozen corn or use fresh corn
• 8 oz lima beans
• approximately 1 1/2 cups fresh okra, diced  (okra acts as the thickening agent)
• 1 green pepper, chopped
• 1 large onion, diced
• 5 stalks celery, sliced
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tbsp parsley flakes
• 2 tsp red pepperflakes
• 1 tsp black peppercorns
• 1/2 tsp garlic salt
• pinch of salt

1. Cook hambone or hamhock in boiling water until tender.
2. Slice sausage, cube chicken, peel shrimp, and cut meat off hambone. Add any combination to a pan and suatee until browned.
3. Meanwhile, wash and chop okra, green pepper, onion, and celery.  Sautee green pepper, onion and celery until soft.
4. In a large stainless steel saucepan combine cooked meat (including hambone), sauteed vegetables and all other ingredients.  Reserve shrimp, adding after the gumbo has cooked for at least 1 hour.
5. Cook, stirring occasionally until the flavours have combined and the gumbo is thick.  Approximately 1 1/2 to 2 hours.  Additional tomato sauce is added to thicken the gumbo if needed.

As you can see this is a loose recipe and many of the quantities are left up to the chefs discreation but it’s a great start.  Marilyn has been making this gumbo since she was a little girl and it changes every time.  She encouraged us to make it our own and add whatever we had on hand at the time.  Afterall, that’s what she does!