Hawaiian Gumbo

When I cook, I don't really follow the recipe.  I've never been very good at following directions. ;) So this dish is a product of a few experiments gone right.  Steven expressed to me his concern that this dish doesn't really have a name other than that-spicy-thing-you-make-some-times.  I decided to remedy that and have taken to calling it Hawaiian Gumbo, because it has Portuguese sausage, and you haven't gone to Hawaii until you've had something with Portuguese sausage in it.  (And Spam, but that's a different story...)

Right, anyway.  First, you have to make the roux.  Sounds scary, but it's really not.  All you have to do is heat up 1/2 cup oil and then sprinkle in 1/2 cup flour.  Mix it together until its a golden brown color for about 8-10 minutes.  Like most things in cooking, this is not exact, so you're going to have to keep an eye on it.  (That means no scooting off to watch the last episode of the Bachelor.  I'm watching you.) 

Here's what you can do while you're watching the roux.  Cut up those onions!  I don't know what it is lately, but I bawl like a baby every time I cut onions.  It's so bad.  Anyway, you can dice them or slice them... it's a matter of personal preference.  And then stir them into the roux.

Like I mentioned, Portuguese sausage is the favorite in Hawaii, but I'd imagine you could use any kind of sausage for this gumbo.  (I'm not even sure if you can buy Portuguese sausage on the mainland??)  Cut up the sausage into slices that are about a quarter inch thick and then pour it into the roux as well.

  

You should have something that looks like this.  I'd have cleaned up the pot and the surrounding area a little for a picture's sake but let's face it... ain't nobody got time for that.

Alright, here comes the fun part.  You're going to add the spices!  If you're anything like me, you mostly just throw in whatever spices you like in whatever amount seems like a good idea at the time.  More exact measurements can be found below, but it's basically 1/4 teaspoon of everything pictured which is... garlic powder, cumin, cajun spices, and cayenne pepper.  You're going to want to add a bit more of the parsley.

Add your stewed tomatoes.  I used a can of Hunt's because it's what we had, and I like to keep things easy, especially while cooking.  I once tried to make my own stewed tomatoes... but that's another story for another time.

It wouldn't be a Hawaiian dish without some shoyu (also known as soy sauce).  Honestly, people will put shoyu on everything and anything.  Add 1 Tbsp or to taste.  

Also a local favorite: sriracha.  It's a type of hot sauce made from chili peppers, vinegar, garlic, sugar, and salt, and yes, locals will put this on almost anything as well.  It's just going to add a bit of a kick to your gumbo, but if you're not into really spicy food, it's alright to leave the sriracha out.  I won't judge you.  Much.

Add about a quart of chicken stock.  Bring to a boil, stir, and let simmer uncovered for 1 hour.  After that, pao, you're done.  I poured it over white rice, because eating everything with rice is also very local, but you can eat it plain if you like.  Either way... enjoy!