If you are going to overland through Africa, you better have the right vehicle. You need a rig that will stand up to the harsh weather and poor road conditions. It needs to be reliable and easy to fix in even the most remote parts of Africa. The vehicle also needs to be comfortable for living in.
Some people spend thousands of dollars adapting their vehicles. They add snorkels, extra fuel tanks, and luxurious rooftop tents. This doesn't even include the price of the vehicle itself. Our budget is low, and our needs are simple.
When we first arrived to Spain in February, I immediately began searching for a vehicle. I searched the overlanding blogs for information on the best vehicles, compared their fuel economies, and checked into their internal dimensions. Two vehicle models stood out above the rest: the Toyota Land Cruiser and Land-Rover Defender.
The Toyota Land Cruiser is quickly becoming the most common 4x4 used for overlanding through Africa. Certain models of Land Cruiser - like the 70 series - are extremely reliable and easily repaired in Africa. Land Cruisers are incredibly desirable for these applications.
We may have gone with a Land Cruiser if there were any available. Within our price range we found several 70 series Land Cruisers, but they were all in the Canary Islands. One or two were on the peninsula, but our options were limited. It was best to check other models.
The Land-Rover Defender - and the Series Land-Rovers that came before - have been the top overlanding vehicle for many decades. It is only recently that Toyota has surpassed Land-Rover. The Land-Rover Defender, especially the 200tdi and 300tdi, are incredibly reliable machines. If the good reviews about their reliability and performance didn't convince me, then the large livable interior did. I was sold.
Problem: there are practically no Defenders in Spain. If any Defenders are for sale, they are so far above our target price I never even saw them.
At first I thought there were plenty of Defenders for sale. Almost all the Land-Rovers for sale are advertised as Defenders. After a bit of confusion and subsequent research I realized what these vehicles really are: Santanas.
In the 1950's Land-Rover began contracting with Santana Motor, a Spanish car manufacturer. Santana began to make the Series II in the late 50's, and they continued to manufacture for Land-Rover until 1983. Over the 30 years Santana worked for Land-Rover, they pushed out Series II, IIa, III, and an improved IIIa.
These series Land-Rovers made in southern Spain are easily identifiable, because they always say "Santana" somewhere on the body. This is how I realized these vehicles were not Defenders - as the sellers were saying. Now I knew how to recognize a Series III and understood that these vehicles were built in Spain, but my troubles were far from over.
Santana Motor continued building 4x4s long after they split from Land-Rover. For several years they built independently, and later they contracted for Suzuki. I began to realize that the Santanas being sold were not necessarily Land-Rover era. From the shape of the bodies I could tell that many were post-split 4x4s, but they would still have the "Land-Rover" name printed on the body and steering wheel. Others would look like Series IIIs, but would have a manufacture date after the company split from Land-Rover.
Unfortunately there is very little information about Santana Motor's vehicles. Neither in English, nor in Spanish can I find any good reference about the different models made by the company after they separated from Land-Rover. To this day I still have no idea what to think about the Santanas made after 1983.
With this information in hand, we decided the Series III is the best option for us. These vehicles are old - 30 to 40 years old - and sometimes I have my doubts. We recognize there are risks with an older vehicle. But, no matter what model, our vehicle will eventually break down on a trip like this. All we can do is prepare before leaving and bring plenty of spare parts.
27 April 2015
20 April 2015
Vaccinations : Preserving our health while in Africa
A vital preparation for out adventure into Africa is getting the proper vaccinations. Last Wednesday, absolutely wasted tired from the previous days, we got up early for our doctor's appointment. Upon arrival, we consulted with a doctor about what vaccines were recommended for the countries we would be visiting. Because we are planning on visiting so many countries, she set us up to get basically every necessary vaccine.
The first four are what we were given the other day. The rest we will take in the next couple weeks:
Shots
In addition to these vaccines, we were both prescribed a years worth of malaria pills. These pills are NOT vaccines . We still need to take special care and protect ourselves from mosquito bites. These pills will be taken every Sunday starting two weeks before we leave, and we will not stop until we have been home for four weeks.
All our vaccines were documented in our WHO Yellow Card - a small yellow booklet for vaccine stamps which is internationally recognized. The main purpose of this card is to inform border officials about vaccinations required to enter the country. Basically the only vaccination that is consistently required for entry to African countries is yellow fever. Other vaccines are periodically required when there are outbreaks.
We are very fortunate that here in Spain we do not have to pay for our shots. These vaccines can add up and become very expensive. If we had gotten them in the U.S., we would have paid hundreds of dollars for each of us. The malaria pills are also extremely cheap in our specific case. Here we pay only 2.39€ for each two month quantity, when normally it would be at least 10 times more expensive in Spain. In the U.S. it could be even more expensive.
The first four are what we were given the other day. The rest we will take in the next couple weeks:
Shots
- Hepatitis A
- Hepatitis B
- Meningitis
- Rabies : Series of three shots.
- Tetanus
- Polio
- Yellow Fever : We have valid yellow fever vaccines until 2021, so we will not need to update this vaccine.
- Cholera : A powder and liquid mixed in water. We will drink this twice, each time a week apart.
- Typhoid Fever : Three pills. We take one on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
In addition to these vaccines, we were both prescribed a years worth of malaria pills. These pills are NOT vaccines . We still need to take special care and protect ourselves from mosquito bites. These pills will be taken every Sunday starting two weeks before we leave, and we will not stop until we have been home for four weeks.
All our vaccines were documented in our WHO Yellow Card - a small yellow booklet for vaccine stamps which is internationally recognized. The main purpose of this card is to inform border officials about vaccinations required to enter the country. Basically the only vaccination that is consistently required for entry to African countries is yellow fever. Other vaccines are periodically required when there are outbreaks.
We are very fortunate that here in Spain we do not have to pay for our shots. These vaccines can add up and become very expensive. If we had gotten them in the U.S., we would have paid hundreds of dollars for each of us. The malaria pills are also extremely cheap in our specific case. Here we pay only 2.39€ for each two month quantity, when normally it would be at least 10 times more expensive in Spain. In the U.S. it could be even more expensive.
17 April 2015
More Cars, Don Quijote, and a Palace.
On Monday we made plans to go visit some cars around the outskirts
of Madrid. At first we considered taking buses, but a lot of our time
would be wasted waiting for them to arrive. We wouldn't be able to get
nearly as much done, so Javier requested to rent a car. Our request was
answered early the next morning by a man on the other side of town. In
the afternoon, we took the bus down to Principe Pio to get the car.
Our plan was to visit two or three Land Rovers in the area around Guadalajara and to stop in Alcala de Henares on the way there. Alcala de Henares is well known for its university, one of the oldest in the world. It is also the birthplace of Miguel de Cervantes, who wrote the very famous novel El Ingenioso Hidalgo Don Quijote de la Mancha.
The city is beautiful. The old buildings, cute central plaza, and column lined streets are wonderful to explore. We had a quiet and peaceful stroll through the city.
In the Calle Mayor, we found a restaurant and got some lunch. We had only an hour left before we needed to leave the city, and there would be little time to eat later on. When we emerged from our gluttonous meal of chopitos and boquerones, we found ourselves right across the street from the birth place of Cervantes. Naturally, we got a photo with Don Quijote and Sancho Panza.
We left Alcala at 18:00 and drove through the countryside to see a Santana in Pozo de Guadalajara. The owner met us at a gas station in the center of the village, and we checked out the rig.
This vehicle was in better condition than the last, but was still not looking so sharp. The tires were in great condition, and the body was in fairly good shape, but there was a fairly strong leak from the engine. This vehicle showed evidence of the same moss growth as the last car, and the vehicle had been painted sloppily by the owner.
We all hopped in and went out to the farmlands to drive it around on the dirt roads. It drove smoothly and changed gears well, but was very sluggish. This was not too surprising, as these vehicles are not known for their speed. The brakes were also incredibly ineffective, meaning most slowing of the vehicle had to be done by changing gears.
It was fun to drive the Santana around, but our final impression of this particular vehicle was not the best.
After an hour or so in Pozo, we continued on to see the next Santana. Driving through Guadalajara, the route to the next country village was complicated. We actually passed the turnoff to
the village the first time, because the sign was not clear. The village was called Alarilla, but since the sign was old it looked like "ALAPILLA". I am to blame partly for missing the turn, since Spanish is not my native language. A Spaniard would probably have recognized the missing leg of the 'R'.
As the sun began to set, we arrived to a cute village clinging to an odd bell shaped hill. The owner of the car was waiting for us in the street and greeted us warmly. It was immediately clear that this vehicle was in far better condition than the other two we had seen.
The body of the car was in beautiful condition. The bulkhead was basically rust-free. The interior was very well kept. The windows were well sealed - no moss! - and the tires were in good condition.
It is even nicer that the vehicle was a three door with bench seats in the back. One issue with many of the available Santanas is that they are five doors with bucket seats. We would need to take out the bucket seats to make the back more livable. With this vehicle we would have to do much less work to make our living space.
We started up the engine and drove around some country roads. This engine was much stronger and it drove much faster than the rig in Pozo. The engine in this vehicle had been changed out recently for a Perkins diesel 4.203 engine. This 4 cylinder engine was powerful and anything but sluggish. There was even an additional fifth gear for highways.
This vehicle caught our attention. It had a new engine, a new gearbox, better fuel economy, was well kept, and the body was perfect for living in. The price was also of interest. On the cheaper side, but clearly in better shape that most we would see for more money.
We spent the rest of the evening with the owner. He was a kind and open man. After our ride we went to his shop so he could show us some spare parts he had. He also showed us his Santana Anibal - the most recent Santana 4x4.
The way we were welcomed by this man gave us confidence in the vehicle. We were invited into his home, introduced to his old aunts, and spent over an hour talking about hunting, the U.S., and driving through Africa. They offered us drinks and food, and we were very comfortable with them. It really says a lot about the owner.
We said our goodbyes around 22:30, and drove out of the village. There was a third vehicle in the area we wanted to see, but it was clearly too late. We called the owner anyway, but he was not available to meet up at that time. (If you don't know about Spain, you might think it was way too late to call. But it really isn't unreasonable, because people eat and are awake much later here.) Knowing that we would get up early the next day, we rushed back to Madrid for a few hours of sleep.
The next day, Tuesday, we decided to get up early and do something fun. We still had the car till 14:00, and it seemed a good use of the car to drive somewhere new. We discussed going to Aranjuez to see the palace, or possibly Llescas to see another car, but we decided to go to El Pardo in the end.
El Pardo is a forested area in the north of Madrid where kings would go to hunt in the winter. The palace there is small, but elegant. It seems there is not a lot of tourism to this palace. The properties do not appear as a point of interest on any tourist websites we have seen.
It is also likely that few Spaniards visit. During the decades when Francisco Franco governed the country, he lived in the palace. Any animosity that might exist towards Franco has definitely reduced interest in visiting his former residence, even if it has a more historical significance than that.
These days the palace is reserved for visiting heads of state. There are a series of more modern rooms where presidents and prime ministers can stay while they do their business in Madrid.
The palace has some small gardens surrounding it, but nothing like many other palaces. The main purpose of the properties was for hunting by the royal family. It was a place to visit in the winter, so the gardens are simple.
There are three open courtyards aligned symmetrically in the center of the palace. They are all covered now, to protect them from the weather. The only photos I could get of the interior were in this first courtyard.
During the tour we visited only part of the palace. It was interesting that the guide noticed Javier's visual disability and actually gave him permission to touch the furniture. For the most part, he refrained from doing so.
Most rooms of the palace have ceilings painted with intricate frescoes and walls lined with beautiful tapestries. Many of the tapestries are reproductions of paintings by famous artists such as Goya. Much of the art is themed around hunting, and the walls of many rooms are adorned with images of different bird species. I loved the rooms with birds.
Near the center of the building we visited the rooms where Franco lived. There were three rooms in particular: his bedroom, his rumpus room, and his bathroom. The rumpus room - for lack of a better description - was adorned with a couple recliners, the palace's first television, and glass cabinets containing all his different uniforms. The fact that they displayed the bathroom was kind of funny. It was a modern bathroom; Franco had the bathroom remodeled a couple years before his death. One British woman on the tour looked in and said, "It's just a modern bathroom really." To this I responded, "But it's the bathroom of the Generalissimo!" Why they display the bathroom is beyond me. Maybe it's for comic relief? For us it became a joke: "We saw the bathroom where Franco pooped!"
A few blocks from the palace is a small building called La Casita del Principe. I could not take any photos inside. This is a shame, because the interior of this otherwise unspectacular building was breathtaking. All of the original embroidered wallpaper and exquisite furniture was in almost perfect condition. Every surface was bright colors and delicate patterns. The preserved condition of the walls and upholstery in the Casita is due to it being closed up for most of its existence. The building was built by Carlos III for use by his son Carlos IV for parties. The place was used infrequently, so it did not deteriorate.
After our journey to El Pardo, we returned the car and took the bus back to the apartment. We were absolutely exhausted from the past two days of running around on little sleep, so we crashed the moment we got home.
Our plan was to visit two or three Land Rovers in the area around Guadalajara and to stop in Alcala de Henares on the way there. Alcala de Henares is well known for its university, one of the oldest in the world. It is also the birthplace of Miguel de Cervantes, who wrote the very famous novel El Ingenioso Hidalgo Don Quijote de la Mancha.
The city is beautiful. The old buildings, cute central plaza, and column lined streets are wonderful to explore. We had a quiet and peaceful stroll through the city.
In the Calle Mayor, we found a restaurant and got some lunch. We had only an hour left before we needed to leave the city, and there would be little time to eat later on. When we emerged from our gluttonous meal of chopitos and boquerones, we found ourselves right across the street from the birth place of Cervantes. Naturally, we got a photo with Don Quijote and Sancho Panza.
Honestly, we think that our adaptation of Sancho and Quijote are a little better. No shame whatsoever.
(Halloween, 2014)
And, of course, we can never mention Quijote and Sancho without singing this song.
We left Alcala at 18:00 and drove through the countryside to see a Santana in Pozo de Guadalajara. The owner met us at a gas station in the center of the village, and we checked out the rig.
This vehicle was in better condition than the last, but was still not looking so sharp. The tires were in great condition, and the body was in fairly good shape, but there was a fairly strong leak from the engine. This vehicle showed evidence of the same moss growth as the last car, and the vehicle had been painted sloppily by the owner.
We all hopped in and went out to the farmlands to drive it around on the dirt roads. It drove smoothly and changed gears well, but was very sluggish. This was not too surprising, as these vehicles are not known for their speed. The brakes were also incredibly ineffective, meaning most slowing of the vehicle had to be done by changing gears.
It was fun to drive the Santana around, but our final impression of this particular vehicle was not the best.
After an hour or so in Pozo, we continued on to see the next Santana. Driving through Guadalajara, the route to the next country village was complicated. We actually passed the turnoff to
the village the first time, because the sign was not clear. The village was called Alarilla, but since the sign was old it looked like "ALAPILLA". I am to blame partly for missing the turn, since Spanish is not my native language. A Spaniard would probably have recognized the missing leg of the 'R'.
As the sun began to set, we arrived to a cute village clinging to an odd bell shaped hill. The owner of the car was waiting for us in the street and greeted us warmly. It was immediately clear that this vehicle was in far better condition than the other two we had seen.
The body of the car was in beautiful condition. The bulkhead was basically rust-free. The interior was very well kept. The windows were well sealed - no moss! - and the tires were in good condition.
It is even nicer that the vehicle was a three door with bench seats in the back. One issue with many of the available Santanas is that they are five doors with bucket seats. We would need to take out the bucket seats to make the back more livable. With this vehicle we would have to do much less work to make our living space.
We started up the engine and drove around some country roads. This engine was much stronger and it drove much faster than the rig in Pozo. The engine in this vehicle had been changed out recently for a Perkins diesel 4.203 engine. This 4 cylinder engine was powerful and anything but sluggish. There was even an additional fifth gear for highways.
This vehicle caught our attention. It had a new engine, a new gearbox, better fuel economy, was well kept, and the body was perfect for living in. The price was also of interest. On the cheaper side, but clearly in better shape that most we would see for more money.
We spent the rest of the evening with the owner. He was a kind and open man. After our ride we went to his shop so he could show us some spare parts he had. He also showed us his Santana Anibal - the most recent Santana 4x4.
The way we were welcomed by this man gave us confidence in the vehicle. We were invited into his home, introduced to his old aunts, and spent over an hour talking about hunting, the U.S., and driving through Africa. They offered us drinks and food, and we were very comfortable with them. It really says a lot about the owner.
We said our goodbyes around 22:30, and drove out of the village. There was a third vehicle in the area we wanted to see, but it was clearly too late. We called the owner anyway, but he was not available to meet up at that time. (If you don't know about Spain, you might think it was way too late to call. But it really isn't unreasonable, because people eat and are awake much later here.) Knowing that we would get up early the next day, we rushed back to Madrid for a few hours of sleep.
The next day, Tuesday, we decided to get up early and do something fun. We still had the car till 14:00, and it seemed a good use of the car to drive somewhere new. We discussed going to Aranjuez to see the palace, or possibly Llescas to see another car, but we decided to go to El Pardo in the end.
El Pardo is a forested area in the north of Madrid where kings would go to hunt in the winter. The palace there is small, but elegant. It seems there is not a lot of tourism to this palace. The properties do not appear as a point of interest on any tourist websites we have seen.
It is also likely that few Spaniards visit. During the decades when Francisco Franco governed the country, he lived in the palace. Any animosity that might exist towards Franco has definitely reduced interest in visiting his former residence, even if it has a more historical significance than that.
These days the palace is reserved for visiting heads of state. There are a series of more modern rooms where presidents and prime ministers can stay while they do their business in Madrid.
The palace has some small gardens surrounding it, but nothing like many other palaces. The main purpose of the properties was for hunting by the royal family. It was a place to visit in the winter, so the gardens are simple.
There are three open courtyards aligned symmetrically in the center of the palace. They are all covered now, to protect them from the weather. The only photos I could get of the interior were in this first courtyard.
During the tour we visited only part of the palace. It was interesting that the guide noticed Javier's visual disability and actually gave him permission to touch the furniture. For the most part, he refrained from doing so.
Most rooms of the palace have ceilings painted with intricate frescoes and walls lined with beautiful tapestries. Many of the tapestries are reproductions of paintings by famous artists such as Goya. Much of the art is themed around hunting, and the walls of many rooms are adorned with images of different bird species. I loved the rooms with birds.
Near the center of the building we visited the rooms where Franco lived. There were three rooms in particular: his bedroom, his rumpus room, and his bathroom. The rumpus room - for lack of a better description - was adorned with a couple recliners, the palace's first television, and glass cabinets containing all his different uniforms. The fact that they displayed the bathroom was kind of funny. It was a modern bathroom; Franco had the bathroom remodeled a couple years before his death. One British woman on the tour looked in and said, "It's just a modern bathroom really." To this I responded, "But it's the bathroom of the Generalissimo!" Why they display the bathroom is beyond me. Maybe it's for comic relief? For us it became a joke: "We saw the bathroom where Franco pooped!"
A few blocks from the palace is a small building called La Casita del Principe. I could not take any photos inside. This is a shame, because the interior of this otherwise unspectacular building was breathtaking. All of the original embroidered wallpaper and exquisite furniture was in almost perfect condition. Every surface was bright colors and delicate patterns. The preserved condition of the walls and upholstery in the Casita is due to it being closed up for most of its existence. The building was built by Carlos III for use by his son Carlos IV for parties. The place was used infrequently, so it did not deteriorate.
After our journey to El Pardo, we returned the car and took the bus back to the apartment. We were absolutely exhausted from the past two days of running around on little sleep, so we crashed the moment we got home.
12 April 2015
Out to View a Car and Fly a Kite
After weeks of looking around and never feeling it was quite time to actually go look at any vehicles for our trip, we finally went to see one yesterday. It was the only car of its kind available for sale in the city of Madrid, so it was the easiest for us to go and check out.
We knew from talking with the owner that the car had not been driven for a year or so - a little bit of warning for us. The battery was also dead.
After a 45 minute ride on the metro, we arrived to southern Madrid and walked to the house of the owner. It was clear we were in the right place, since we could easily see the Land-Rover from far away.
This Land-Rover is a Series III Santana. Basically all of the more rugged models of Land Rover for sale in Spain are Series III Santanas; there are no Defenders to be found. This particular vehicle is from 1979.
The first thing I noticed was that the front differential seemed to be leaking. It also seemed that something else was leaking, but it was hard to tell where the leak was coming from. The chassis seemed very solid - no patches, rust, or corrosion. The front tires were relatively new, but the back ones were horrendous. They would definitely need replacing.
The engine was pretty clean and seemed well kept. There was some corrosion around the radiator, and belts and pipes would need to be replaced. We expect these things though. We didn't get to see the engine working. Unfortunately, the battery the owner had charged wasn't getting the car to roll over. Really we have no idea if it is solely the battery, or if the engine would have failed to start with a better battery. This is definitely a bad point for this vehicle.
The body of the car was in exceptional condition for the most part. The bulkhead showed some rusting, but not much. The interior had very little rust, and the doors were all solid. The upholstery on most seats was good, and the interior was well kept. The only thing that I noticed - probably my favorite issue with the car - was the moss growing in the windows. Not really good for keeping water out, but maybe we could harvest some mushrooms for dinner.
We finished up with our analysis of the car, said our goodbyes, and left to visit Casa de Campo. This huge park on the western side of the city is amazing. You can spend hours walking across it. We arrived on the bus at around 19:30 and started our hunt for a place to fly our kit. The park is vegetated and pretty wild, but we needed to find an open place on a hill top. We had entered the park near Casa de Campo metro station, and I knew that there were some open hills nearer to Lago, so we set off east. We jogged a bit and finally came to a hill top. The wind was perfect.
Wrapping up our kite and hiking down the hill, we got out of the park just as the sun set. We had no idea which buses we needed to take, so the ride home took us a couple of frustrating hours. Even with a tiresome ending, the day was wonderful.
We knew from talking with the owner that the car had not been driven for a year or so - a little bit of warning for us. The battery was also dead.
After a 45 minute ride on the metro, we arrived to southern Madrid and walked to the house of the owner. It was clear we were in the right place, since we could easily see the Land-Rover from far away.
This Land-Rover is a Series III Santana. Basically all of the more rugged models of Land Rover for sale in Spain are Series III Santanas; there are no Defenders to be found. This particular vehicle is from 1979.
The first thing I noticed was that the front differential seemed to be leaking. It also seemed that something else was leaking, but it was hard to tell where the leak was coming from. The chassis seemed very solid - no patches, rust, or corrosion. The front tires were relatively new, but the back ones were horrendous. They would definitely need replacing.
The engine was pretty clean and seemed well kept. There was some corrosion around the radiator, and belts and pipes would need to be replaced. We expect these things though. We didn't get to see the engine working. Unfortunately, the battery the owner had charged wasn't getting the car to roll over. Really we have no idea if it is solely the battery, or if the engine would have failed to start with a better battery. This is definitely a bad point for this vehicle.
The body of the car was in exceptional condition for the most part. The bulkhead showed some rusting, but not much. The interior had very little rust, and the doors were all solid. The upholstery on most seats was good, and the interior was well kept. The only thing that I noticed - probably my favorite issue with the car - was the moss growing in the windows. Not really good for keeping water out, but maybe we could harvest some mushrooms for dinner.
We finished up with our analysis of the car, said our goodbyes, and left to visit Casa de Campo. This huge park on the western side of the city is amazing. You can spend hours walking across it. We arrived on the bus at around 19:30 and started our hunt for a place to fly our kit. The park is vegetated and pretty wild, but we needed to find an open place on a hill top. We had entered the park near Casa de Campo metro station, and I knew that there were some open hills nearer to Lago, so we set off east. We jogged a bit and finally came to a hill top. The wind was perfect.
06 April 2015
Our Proposed Route Through Africa
There are many things that one must consider when preparing for a trip like we are to Africa. It is hard to say which is most important, as all of them are absolutely necessary to make the trip work. One of the most basic preparations is the route we might take. I spent many weeks researching places of interest in all the countries on the African continent. Comparing the volume of places, the price of visas, and magnitude of danger in each country, I have outlined a general route that we could take. This route is not fixed, and it will most likely be changed as we learn more about visas.
Recipe: Gumbo
The first time I made gumbo, I wasn't even in the U.S. We spent several months in Spain after we got married, and this is where I taught myself many American recipes. I would have never learned to make gumbo in the U.S., because I would have just gone to The Dinosaur Cafe and bought a bowl. When living abroad it is easy to gravitate towards foods that seem like home. Even when those foods would be uncommon for you normally.
These days I only make gumbo when I can find fresh okra. The first times I made it without okra. It just wasn't possible to find any in our neighborhood in northern Madrid. A couple times I have made it with frozen okra. One time in Greece, when I spotted okra for the first time in Europe, and once in Montana, when we were given a free bag of frozen okra. Otherwise, if I don't find fresh okra, I don't make it.
There are a million recipes for gumbo out there, and everybody has their own idea of how it should be. To me, gumbo should not be a light dish. Making a really good roux, in my opinion, requires quite some fat. But what you use and how you cook the gumbo depends on what you like and what your dietary restrictions are. If you can not or do not eat some of these ingredients, then make adjustments. Throughout the recipe, I mention some changes you can make.
Ingredients:
- Chicken (500g/1lb)
- Sausage (350g/12oz)
- Shrimp (200g/7oz)
- 1 large Onion (chopped)
- 4 cloves Garlic (minced)
- 4 stalks Celery (sliced)
- 1 Green bell pepper (chopped)
- Flour (3 large spoonfuls)
- Chicken broth (700ml/3 cups)
- Thyme (small bunch fresh)
- Bay leaves (3-4)
- Parsley (small bunch fresh)
- Cayenne or other chilies *Optional*
- salt and pepper
- Fresh okra (350g/12oz) [If you don't use okra - make more roux than specified here (2x)]
The Prep Work:
For my gumbo I use: chicken, pork sausage, and sometimes shrimp. In this case, I bought chicken legs. Sometimes I use chicken breast, but let's face it, chicken legs are much more flavorful. Andouille sausage is preferred, but substitutions are fine. I have used anything from spicy Italian to plain pork sausage (above). The only types I avoid are those with paprika or other spices that might conflict with those added to the gumbo.
I skinned, deboned, and cut the chicken into small pieces. I always salt my chicken lightly before cooking. If you are going the fat-rich route (like I do), you can save the skin and bones. Cut the sausage into small pieces.
Put the chicken in a large heated pot with a little olive oil. I put the bones and skin as well, because I want as much of the chicken fat to accumulate in the pan. If you are going light and don't want the fat, you can disregard the skin and bones.
Remove the chicken meat - leaving the bones and skin a while longer - and add the sausage. Stir gently until cooked.
Remove the sausage from the pot. Put the chicken and sausage aside for later. The bones and skin of the chicken can be thrown out, or could be used to make the broth in a pot with some water.
DO NOT GET RID OF THE ACCUMULATED FAT IN THE BOTTOM OF THE POT!
Unless you are going for a low-fat gumbo, you will need this fat to make the roux.
Cut all the vegetables (except the okra).
Saute the vegetables until soft and the onions are translucent. Set aside.
The Roux:
We are now going to start with the roux. The roux is the base flavor and thickening agent of the gumbo. It is basically a burnt bechamel. To make the roux, you need a fat and flour. We are using the fat reserved from cooking the meat. If you want you can just use some olive oil, butter, or a mix, but it won't be as flavorful.
(For more information about the art of making bechamel, see our recipe)
Heat the fat on medium-low heat and add three large heaping spoonfuls of flour.
Stir the flour and the fat until they are completely mixed and bubbling.
As the flour starts to brown, stir constantly. Watch your heat level. You do not want the flour to burn, just get slowly toasted. This part of the process is very important and determines what kind of gumbo you will have in the end. If you want a milder flavor, you can toast it lightly and have a blonde gumbo. If you want a really strong flavor, toast it for longer and have a blacker gumbo. I prefer to have something in the middle.
I toast my roux until it is a dark caramel color.
Once you have a roux that is the color you want, it is time to add the broth. Heat the broth so that it will incorporate into the flour and fat mixture more smoothly. You have to add the water a little at a time, each time stirring rapidly to get the mixture to an even consistency. Do not add more than a few spoonfuls of liquid in the beginning, or you will get lumpy roux.
After adding one cup (235ml) of broth, the roux will be the consistency of apple butter.
After two cups (470ml) of broth, the roux will be smooth and thick like a rich gravy (though I would not suggest it for such a use).
By the time you have added three cups of broth, it should be pretty watered down. At this point you can add all the cooked meat and vegetables to the pot, and top off with water.
Get the pot simmering.
The gumbo will seem fairly watery at this point, but don't despair! It will thicken as it simmers, and the addition of okra later on will make it even thicker. If you are not able to find okra, make more roux in the beginning. The more roux you have, the thicker the final product will be.
If the final product is still not thick enough for your tastes, make more roux in another pot, add broth from the main pot to make it smooth, and then incorporate it with the soup in the main pot. Easy as that.
Add the fresh thyme, bay leaves, and fresh parsley to the pot. You will take these out later before serving the gumbo. If you want your gumbo spicy, you can add a crushed dried chili at this time. For our tastes, one single cayenne chili is sufficient. It makes the gumbo a little spicy, but doesn't overpower the other flavors. If you prefer to add a fresh chili, it is advisable to add earlier with the onion and other vegetables.
You can also add salt and pepper at this time. If you salted the raw chicken before cooking, be wary of how much salt you add at the end.
Let the pot simmer with the herbs for 3/4 of an hour or so. If you are cooking the gumbo for the next day, you can let it cool after simmering and finish it right before serving. If you are eating the gumbo the same day, you can prepare the okra.
Okra is one of the oddest vegetables I've ever used. Originally from Africa, it has made its way into cuisine all over the world. When the fruits are cut open, several seeded chambers are revealed. The plants are mucilaginous, so shortly after cutting a clear gooey slime begins to seep from the cut ends. This goo assists with the thickening of the gumbo.
Before adding the okra to the pot, I prefer to saute it in a little oil first. During this initial cooking, the okra becomes covered in its own slime.
As you stir the okra in the pan, you will see the slime forming strands between the pieces.
You do not need to cook it for long in the pan. Just heat it up, then add it to the pot with the rest of the ingredients. At this point you can also add the shrimp. With this particular pot of gumbo I did not use shrimp. Normally I would cook them in their shells, peel them, and add them at the end.
Let the pot simmer for 15 minutes or so. You will see the gumbo thicken from the addition of the okra.
At this point your gumbo is ready to eat. We always eat ours served over a bed of rice.
Buen provecho!
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