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I’m a huge fan of gumbo. Taking the time to make a great roux really pays off with fantastic flavor. It’s my go-to comfort food during cooler times. Not that a good stew isn’t great when it’s cold out, but a gumbo is what a stew wants to grow up to be. This smoked turkey and file gumbo pot pie turns gumbo into a all-in-one-dish pot pie. The biscuits were crazy good. In fact, I was quite proud of myself. They came out great. Usually anything I bake from scratch is uh… er…well, let’s just say you don’t see many pictures of anything I’ve baked on this site.
Smoked Turkey Deliciousness
I found smoked turkey wings in the meat case at our grocery store near the hams and smoked ham hocks. Smoked turkey legs also work in this smoked turkey and file gumbo pot pie.
You can still make this dish without smoked turkey. It’s a great way to use up that leftover Thanksgiving turkey.
I like to use my good ole trusty Dutch oven to make the gumbo and pretty much darned near anything like it on my stovetop. It’s nice and big and sturdy. That extra weight helps it maintain and distribute heat perfectly. As an added bonus, it’s actually pretty easy to clean up too!
Also try my lentil soup with smoked turkey or my Creole-style bean soup.
Smoked Turkey and File Gumbo Pot Pie
Ingredients
For the biscuit rounds
- 2 cups all-purpose flour plus a bit more for flouring
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter cold, sliced
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- ¾ cup milk plus more for brushing
For the smoked turkey and file gumbo
- 6 tablespoons vegetable oil
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 stalks celery chopped
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 1 green bell pepper chopped
- 3 cups chicken stock I used turkey stock
- 3 cups dark turkey meat diced, smoked. I used smoked turkey wing meat
- 2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 ½ teaspoons gumbo file powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ½ pound shrimp shelled (I used 22-24 count shrimp, and cut them in half)
- 2 cups rice cooked
Instructions
For the biscuit rounds
- Whisk the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar together in a large bowl.
- Use your fingers to rub 3 tablespoons of the butter into the flour until the mixture is sandy. Patience is a good thing here.
- Use your fingers to work in the remaining 5 tablespoons of butter until it forms pea-size pieces.
- Stir the lemon zest into the milk.
- Stir the milk into the flour mixture to make a soft dough, mixing with your hands.
- Lightly flour a work surface and your hands.
- Turn the dough out onto the work surface and form into a 1/2-inch-thick rectangle.
- Fold the dough on top of itself and pat into a 1/2-inch-thick circle, like a pizza dough.
- Cut out 14 (if you get a few less, that’s okay) biscuit rounds using a 2″ biscuit cutter. Remove cut dough to a tray lined with parchment paper. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
For the smoked turkey and file gumbo
- Add the vegetable oil to a large Dutch oven over medium heat.
- Stir in the flour and cook (making a roux), stirring constantly (don’t stop!), until the mixture thickens to a paste and turns medium brown, about 10 minutes..
- Add the celery, onions and bell peppers and cook until softened, 4-5 minutes.
- Add the chicken stock, turkey meat, Cajun seasoning and bay leaves.
- Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Simmer until the soup thickens slightly, about 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
- Add the file powder, salt, black pepper, cayenne and the oysters (or shrimp) with any reserved liquor. Continue to simmer until the mixture thickens slightly, about 5 minutes.
- Divide the rice between 2 6″ cast iron skillets that have been greased lightly.
- Divide the gumbo between each skillet.
- Top with the biscuit rounds, brushing lightly with milk.
- Top with 8 cups of gumbo. Arrange the biscuit rounds on top of the gumbo and brush lightly with milk.
- Place skillets in the oven on the top shelf. Put a large baking sheet (or two) beneath them on the lower shelf in case some of the gumbo bubbles over.
- Bake 202-5 minutes until the biscuits are golden brown, 20-25 minutes.
- Let rest 5 minutes before serving.
Nutrition
Nutritional values are approximate.
