UK's attempt at Making Gumbo!

Full disclosure. I live in the UK so have never officially tried proper Gumbo. So have no reference to go by.

I am pretty sure I have got the basic technique down, I am just unsure about cooking times and the quantity of ingredients to use.

So far my recipe for Gumbo is:

I start with making a Roux:

http://ift.tt/1NjL1Z9

(I normally use bacon fat for the Roux, but it isn't essential)

I then cook the Roux while constantly stirring until it reaches a dark chocolate brown. My understanding is the darker the Roux the richer the taste.

The amount of Roux I should make is where I struggle. At the moment I use 4 table spoons of fat and flour. Unsure if this is to much or not enough.

Once the Roux is done I add the Holy trinity to it (onions, bell peppers, celery):

http://ift.tt/1Oo4lVh

• 2 small onions
• 2 sticks of celery
• 1 bell pepper

I also add two chopped cloves of garlic.

All finely chopped. Not chuncky

I then saute the aromatics with the Roux. (it steams and hissing a lot)

The spices I use are:

• 1 tsp of salt
• 1/2 tsp of black pepper
• 1/4 tsp of cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp of paprika
• 1 tsp of onion salt
• 2 Bay Leafs

Once the onions are translucent I add about a litre of chicken stock.

Next I brown off 4 chicken legs and 1 very large sausage. I would like to use andouille sausages but they are hard to find in the UK, so I use Polish sausage instead.

Once the meat has been browned off I add it to the gumbo and cook for 3 hrs in a slow cooker on high.

When the gumbo is nearly ready, I add a small amount of chopped okra to help thicken the sauce. But heard Filé powder is also fine to use.

I then serve it with rice and a crusty bread roll.

When I make seafood gumbo I use tiger prawns and langoustine instead of the chicken and sausage. But add them near the end of the cook so they don't get over cooked.

I would use shrimp and crayfish but they are damn near impossible to get in the UK.

If anyone can help me with the quantity of ingredients and cooking times I would be very thankful.

Also if there is any steps I have missed or something I am doing wrong please let me know. I really do want to get my recipe for Gumbo as authentic as possible.

bon appetit