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Guinea Hen Gumbo

Source of Recipe

From "Down South" by Donald Link


Recipe Introduction

"The world knows that New Orleans is the epicenter for flying beads and the colorful, boozy spectacle that is Mardi Gras. But if you want to escape the crowds, drive a couple hours west, and you'll discover an entirely different version of the same holiday: the Courir de Mardi Gras, which translates as 'the run of Fat Tuesday,' in which masked, costumed men on horseback ride from farm to farm, asking for ingredients to make gumbo. These days, when there is no real need to forage for ingredients, the tradition is more symbolic, and involves lots of zydeco music, cold beer, and chicken chasing. The Courir de Mardi Gras takes place every year, and it's a deep part of the culture here. Although the chickens they catch don't end up in the gumbo pot anymore (they're released and probably have a lot to work out in therapy), there is still a huge batch of community gumbo being simmered to share after the run. This gumbo recipe is different from what I usually make in that it is lighter and brothier, and more like the traditional country, Cajun-style gumbo. In Cajun country, guinea hens always come from someone's farm; they're never commercially produced, so the meat has an exceptional flavor and character."

List of Ingredients

â—¦  2 ½ cups vegetable oil
â—¦  3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
â—¦  2 whole guinea hens
â—¦  ½ pound bacon, diced
â—¦  4 cups diced onions
â—¦  2 cups diced celery
â—¦  2 cups diced, seeded poblano chiles
â—¦  ¼ cup kosher salt
â—¦  2 tablespoons black pepper
â—¦  2 teaspoons cayenne
â—¦  1 ½ pounds andouille sausage, halved lengthwise and sliced into ½-inch half moons
â—¦  2 tablespoons hot sauce


Recipe

Make the roux:
Heat a 3-gallon heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Warm the oil and then whisk in the flour. Reduce the heat to medium-low and stir continuously until the roux is a deep, dirty-penny brown, without a trace of black, 1 to 1 ¼ hours.

Meanwhile, cut each guinea hen into 14 pieces:
First, remove the outer wings at the joint and then remove the drumstick portion of the wing that is attached to the breast. Remove the whole legs and separate the drumsticks from the thighs. Using your knife, crack through the ribs from front to back; remove the breast plate. Cut the breast plate in half, and then cut each piece in half. Finally, remove the thighbone portion from the ribs. Discard the ribs.

When the roux is the right color, add the bacon, onions, celery, poblanos, salt, black pepper, and cayenne and cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes. Slowly whisk in 2 gallons water, making sure to fully incorporate the roux. Bring to a simmer, skimming any fat as the gumbo heats up. Add the guinea hens and the andouille, and return the gumbo to a slow simmer. Continuously skim any fat that rises to the surface. The hens and sausage will release quite a bit of fat. Cook until the guinea hen is completely tender, about 2 hours.

Add the hot sauce. The gumbo is now ready to serve, but it is much better if it is cooled and reheated the next day.

Serves 8 to 10