People will come from east and west and north and south. They will take their places at the feast in God’s kingdom. Then the last will be first. And the first will be last. – Luke 13:29-30

Okay, y’all. I think for today – Saturday – we need to talk food. Specifically, the Christmas Eve Gumbo. So if you are up for it I’m going to share my recipe.

It’s a hybrid, of course, as are most good cooking experiences. I used elements from Vivian Howard’s “Deep Run Roots” cookbook, plus ideas from my well-worn “Some Like it South” cookbook (Pensacola Junior League circa 1984)) and also “The Chattanooga Cookbook” which was one of our wedding presents in 1979.

So here is how it went down. I started – a day early – by cooking down the remains of a rotisserie chicken to harvest A) the broth and B) a significant amount of dark meat.

Then, early Christmas Eve and before breakfast, I made the roux. The roux is prepared by stirring in a few tablespoons of flour with bacon fat until there is a nice brown toasty base for everything that comes next. To the roux, I add finely chopped onion, and celery, and garlic. Once that is all lightly browned I add a little of the chicken broth to keep it from drying out.

From this point on the rich flavor of the gumbo is all about building up/from this basic mixture.

Meanwhile I drag a handful of chicken thighs through some flour then brown those in a large pot. After the chicken is partially cooked I add the roux, then diced tomatoes, diced okra, canned corn and a few cups of the chicken broth. Next comes the sausage, which I first brown then braise in a little aged sherry vinegar until it evaporates, then some white wine – which I reduce to just a few tablespoons. Add the sausage mixture to the pot.

This all simmers until lunchtime, simply stirring every once in a while and adding salt and pepper to taste.

After lunch I stir in a little paprika, a little cumin, some parsley, a touch of cajun seasoning, a few pinches of oregano a few tablespoons of lemon juice and a large bay leaf. Once the mixture tastes close to perfect and the chicken has all fallen off the bone, I stir in a large can of crabmeat and some raw shrimp that I have lightly cooked in same pan where I braised the sausage.

Cook it like the South – relaxed and easy:

It is important not to scorch the ingredients so I bring the temperature down to a low simmer, and stir the mixture often. Meanwhile I prepare a large pot of Jasmine rice with celery then set it aside.

By now the gumbo has been cooking for eight or more hours and nothing remains to be done other than stir, wait until the guests arrive, put the biscuits in the oven, and hold back on adding the oysters until around ten minutes before serving.

Serve this gumbo over rice and with the best fresh bread you have available. This time it was sourdough, but biscuits work too – and cornbread is always amazing.

Christmas Eve we had a few hors d’oeuvres when our friends arrived, but the gumbo is absolutely the main event.

This gumbo pairs well with a light Pinot, Sauvignon Blanc or – my first choice, a good locally brewed IPA.

Happy eating – and a blessed Christmas season – DEREK