Most of the gumbos ever made were basically variants
of one of the two recipes in the other files here. You can make a good chicken and andouille gumbo without frying the chicken,
too, but lately I've become convinced that the approach outlined in the first recipe above gives incomparable results. Likewise, you can use okra in a seafood gumbo if you want, but lately I seem to prefer to do something closer to the second recipe above.
That said, one other memorable gumbo that you might want to try is made with rabbit and sausage. The idea is to make the stock by boiling the rabbit (after half an hour or so, remove the meat from the carcass and return the bones to the stock pot), then make the gumbo base as for chicken and andouille gumbo. However, this time add the rabbit meat along with the sausage, and also include some wine. Simmer slowly for two or three hours. This is
so good it could change your life.
