Shelly's Recipe

TURKEY GUMBO

Category: Soups

Turkey bones
Water to cover
Salt and pepper
3/4 cup flour
3/4 cup oil or bacon drippings
2 onions, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 1/2 tsp garlic, minced
2 quarts turkey stock
1 pound canned tomatoes, chopped
1/2 tsp ground bay leaves
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp hot red chile peppers
1 pound ham, diced

***If you DO NOT have any leftovers, begin here:***
Place turkey carcass in large sauce pot w/water to cover. Sprinkle salt & pepper on top. Stir and let boil about 1 1/2 hrs. Remove carcass and meat, reserving broth. Go on to next step below.

***If you DO have leftovers, begin here:***
Cut turkey into bite sized pieces. Brown flour in oil to make a dark roux. Add vegetables and stir till soft. Stir in a cup or so of hot stock, then pour roux into stock pot w/reserved broth. Cook 1/2 hour, then add tomatoes, turkey, seasonings, and ham and cook another 1/2 hr. Serve w/ rice, file (ground sassafras leaves), and Tabasco. Serves 8-10.

NOTE: Gumbo gets better and better the longer it sits. Make it a day or two ahead, if you can. Also, you may add chopped okra when you add your other vegetables, but watch your roux if you do because the okra will make it thicken very quickly.