Smoked Turkey Gumbo
Submitted by scheetz
Smoked turkey gumbo turns the Thanksgiving carcass into a rich Cajun-style gumbo with shrimp, crab, and oysters, built on a deep mahogany roux and served over long-grain rice.
YIELD
10 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
5 hrsREADY
6 hrsSmoked turkey gumbo is the perfect post-Thanksgiving move, turning the picked-over turkey carcass into a soulful Cajun gumbo with shellfish. The smoke from the turkey infuses the stock with a rich, deep flavor you simply cannot buy in a carton, which is why this is a recipe worth starting the day after a holiday feast.
The stock simmers 2 to 4 hours with onion, celery, parsley, thyme, and bay. The long simmer extracts every bit of flavor from the bones, skin, and any leftover meat still clinging to the carcass. A gentle simmer is the key; let it boil and the stock turns cloudy.
The roux is the soul of any proper gumbo, and here it cooks to a deep mahogany color, taking 10 to 15 minutes of constant stirring. That dark color is the difference between a good gumbo and a forgettable one. Stir every 10 seconds, scrape the pan bottom, and adjust heat to prevent scorching. Burnt roux tastes bitter and ruins the whole pot.
The Cajun holy trinity (onion, celery, bell pepper) goes straight into the hot roux to stop the browning and start building the gumbo base. Cayenne, salt, black pepper, and crumbled herbs bloom in the roux for maximum impact.
Shrimp, crab, and oysters go in last, simmering just 5 minutes so they stay tender.
Chef Tips
- Use a cast-iron skillet for the roux. Heavy pans conduct heat evenly and give you control over the browning.
- Defat the stock before using. Chill the strained stock and lift the solidified fat off. A greasy gumbo is a sad gumbo.
- Taste the seasoning before adding shellfish. Once the delicate seafood goes in, you don’t have much time to adjust.
- Scoop rice into the bowl first, then ladle gumbo around it. That’s the Louisiana way, not gumbo on top of rice.
Variations
- Add sliced andouille sausage to the pot for extra smoke and spice (this is traditional).
- Stir in a cup of sliced okra during the last 15 minutes for classic gumbo body.
- Use file powder instead of or alongside okra for traditional thickening; add off the heat to prevent stringiness.
Ingredients
Directions
Place the carcass in a stock pot, breaking it up, if necessary, to make it fit.
Add water to cover. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and skim off any foam that comes to the surface.
Add the sliced onion, celery, parsley, thyme sprig and bay leaf; simmer, uncovered, skimming occasionally, for 2 to 4 hours.
Do not let the stock boil or it will turn cloudy.
Heat the oil in a large, heavy skillet (preferably cast iron), over medium heat.
Stir in the flour and cook, stirring and scraping the entire bottom of the pan at least every 10 seconds, until the resulting roux cooks to a deep mahogany color, 10 to 15 minutes.
Adjust the heat to prevent scorching, which can give a bitter taste.
Turn off the heat and continue stirring a minute or two until the mixture no longer gets darker on the bottom.
Carefully stir in the diced vegetables tables; don’t let the roux splatter it can cause nasty burns.
Stir to coat the vegetables evenly with roux; stir in the chile powder, salt, pepper, herbs and cayenne; set aside.
Strain the stock, let it stand until the fat rises to the top, and skim off the fat.
Bring 8 cups of the stock to a boil in a large pot, stir in the roux vegetable mixture and simmer until slightly thickened, about 15 minutes.
Add the shrimp, crab and/or oysters and simmer just until done, about 5 minutes.
Taste for seasoning and correct if necessary.
Serve in soup bowls over small scoops of rice.
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