By New Year's week felt fresh, like someone had wiped the slate clean. Mama played old gospel songs while she cooked black-eyed peas for good luck. I helped her chop onions and we both cried from the fumes, laughing the whole time.
On Tuesday I sat down with my new notebook and wrote my goals for the year: study harder for high school, learn five new recipes, and visit MawMaw Shirley every Saturday no matter what. Jada came over and we made our own list together. She added "be nicer to my little brother" and we both laughed because we know that one will be hard.
Jamal spent most of the week practicing basketball in the driveway. I went outside to watch and he actually let me shoot a few times. I missed every shot but he didn't tease me too much.
Saturday MawMaw Shirley and I made a small gumbo to start the year right. She said new years need strong roux. I stirred carefully and told her about my goals. She nodded and said patience would carry me farther than speed.
At night I lay in bed listening to fireworks in the distance. Thirteen is only days away, and 2017 feels like a big pot just starting to heat up. I'm excited and a little nervous, but I know I have my family, my friends, and MawMaw's lessons. The roux of my life is turning slowly, and I'm ready to keep stirring.
MawMaw Shirley always says new years need a strong roux, and after standing beside her at the stove stirring that dark, nutty base together, I finally understood what she meant — patience isn’t just a cooking skill, it’s a life skill. I wanted to write down the gumbo we made that Saturday so I’d always remember it, because it tasted like the start of something good. If you’re ready to stir slowly and trust the process, this is the recipe for you.
MawMaw’s New Year’s Gumbo with Black-Eyed Peas
Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 1 hr 15 min | Total Time: 1 hr 35 min | Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil or rendered chicken fat
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 3 stalks celery, diced
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 lb andouille sausage, sliced into rounds
- 1 lb boneless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 can (15 oz) black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed
- 1 1/2 cups frozen or fresh okra, sliced
- 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
- 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 tsp Cajun or Creole seasoning
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 2 bay leaves
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Cooked white rice, for serving
- Sliced green onions, for garnish
Instructions
- Build the roux. In a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and stir constantly with a wooden spoon or heat-safe spatula for 20–30 minutes until the roux reaches a deep chocolate-brown color. Do not walk away — patience is everything here.
- Add the trinity. Carefully stir in the onion, celery, and bell pepper. The roux will sizzle. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring, until the vegetables soften. Add the garlic and cook 1 more minute.
- Brown the sausage. Add the andouille sausage slices and stir to coat in the roux mixture. Cook for 3–4 minutes until lightly browned.
- Add the chicken. Add the chicken thigh pieces and stir everything together. Season with Cajun seasoning, smoked paprika, thyme, and oregano.
- Build the broth. Pour in the chicken broth and diced tomatoes, scraping up any bits from the bottom. Add the bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a steady simmer.
- Simmer low and slow. Cook uncovered for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through and the gumbo has thickened.
- Add black-eyed peas and okra. Stir in the black-eyed peas and okra. Simmer for another 15 minutes until the okra is tender and the flavors have come together. Taste and adjust salt and pepper.
- Serve. Remove bay leaves. Ladle gumbo over cooked white rice and garnish with sliced green onions.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 480 | Protein: 34g | Fat: 24g | Carbs: 32g | Fiber: 5g | Sodium: 890mg