Meet Capt. Wendy Wilson Billiot, aka The Bayou Woman. US Coast Guard licensed Captain, Wetlands Tour Guide, Educator, Award Winning Author, proud mother and grandmother…living and working in Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana.
2 min read
Meet Capt. Wendy Wilson Billiot, aka The Bayou Woman. US Coast Guard licensed Captain, Wetlands Tour Guide, Educator, Award Winning Author, proud mother and grandmother…living and working in Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana.
This is a delicious bayou recipe for your leftover turkey carcass
Servings: 12 people
Ingredients
For the Stock
- 1 Turkey Carcass for the stock
- 1 Large Onion for the stock
- 2 Celery Stalks for the stock
- 6 Bay Leaves for the stock
- 3 Parsley Stalks for the stock
For the Gumbo
- 1 lb Andouille (or smoked sausage of choice) Sliced or cut to desired size/shape
- 4 Celery Stalks Chopped to desired size
- 2 Bell Peppers – large Chopped to desired size
- 1 Onion – large Chopped to desired size
- 1/4 Cup Parsley Leaves Chopped fine
- 1 Bunch Green Onion Tops Chopped
- 1 tsp Sea Salt or salt to taste after cooked
- 1 tsp File’ for flavor and thickening
Instructions
For the Stock
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Place carcass, 1 whole onion, 2 celery cut in half, 3 parsley stalks, and bay leaves in large stockpot and fill with water not quite over carcass (see photo) and bring to boil.
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After boiling, cover pot and lower to medium/low simmer for at least two hours or until meat falls off the bones. This may take longer, so start early in the day!
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Place another large pot or container in sink, place colander on top, and strain the stock, saving the meat and carcass in stockpot.
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Pour turkey carcass and all meat that fell off onto a tray to cool. Meanwhile, pour all the stock back into original stockpot on low heat to keep hot.
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Separate meat from bones. CAUTION: HOT Chop meat into smaller pieces if so desired. REMEMBER: The meat will continue to fall apart as gumbo cooks! (Trash the bones)
For the Gumbo
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In large skillet, place the cut sausage and a small amount of oil to slowly, lightly brown the sausage and render the fat. Then, remove sausage and reserve the oil/fat in skillet.
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To the oil in skillet, add the celery, bell pepper, and onion and sauté on low until soft
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Using slotted spoon, add all the sautéed vegetables and sausage to stock and simmer on low for an hour
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After an hour, taste for seasoning. Add Cajun spice if you like, salt, and black pepper to taste
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Now chop the green onion tops and parsley leaves and add to the gumbo.
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Add the file’ and stir well. Taste again for seasoning. Adjust seasoning if needed.
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Gumbo is ready to serve anytime after 15 more minutes of simmer.
Notes
Serve gumbo over rice with French Bread. Bayou People enjoy theirs with a dollop of very plain potato salad in the middle (see photo). This ends up making more than a gallon of gumbo, so it will service a nice sized crowd for the holidays!
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