Sass!

Growing up our family tried not to waste any food. Money was always tight and we always had lots of mouths to feed. We always had multiple friends spending the night with us and coming over to hang out with us. Our house was where all the young people wanted to be. Not because we were cool or anything but because our mom and dad always had good food and were so generous. After Thanksgiving and Christmas Mom would always boil the turkey carcass down and make a stock. She would make a soup or stew. Our Dad would make a gumbo. This is his recipe for Turkey Gumbo.

Turkey Gumbo
What you will need-
Stock-
1 turkey carcass
3 ribs celery, cut in half
2 large onions, quartered
4 quarts water
Salt to taste
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
2 bouillon cubes
5 bay leaves

1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 ½ cups onions, chopped
1 cup celery, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 ½ tablespoons Cajun seasoning
1 pound andouille sausage, chopped
2 quarts Turkey Broth (Recipe follows)
2 bay leaves
Reserved turkey meat
2 ½ cups frozen okra (optional)
2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
2 tablespoons green onions, chopped
Steamed white rice

Put some mumbo in your gumbo-
Take the majority of your meat off of the bones and put meat to the side.Put the turkey carcass in a large stockpot. Add the celery, onions, water, salt, peppercorns, bouillon cubes and bay leaves. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat to medium. Simmer uncovered for 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Skim any foam that forms on the surface. Remove from the heat and let cool. Strain and set aside any meat that has come off the bone and pick meat that remains on the bone. Skim fat.
Next, Combine the oil and flour in a large cast-iron pot. Cook the mixture over medium heat. Stir roux constantly with a wooden spoon for about 25 minutes. The roux needs to resemble the color of chocolate. In a bowl, season the onions, celery and garlic with Cajun seasoning. Add the vegetables to the roux and cook for 5 -7 minutes. Add the sausage and cook, for an additional 5 minutes. Slowly add the strained turkey broth and bring to a slow boil, stirring constantly. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 45 minutes. Add the reserved turkey meat and okra and cook for approximately 10 minutes. Add the parsley and green onions. Serve gumbo over a bed of rice with plenty of French bread for sopping.
Let’s just say it doesn’t get much better than this. This is so easy and just makes your soul feel oh so good! This gumbo is like medicine for the soul.