Ingredients
- 1 cup peanut oil, lard or other vegetable oil
- 1 cup flour
- 2 cups chopped onion
- 1 cup chopped green bell pepper
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 4 cloves garlic
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 Tbsp Cajun seasoning (see below)
- 1 ham hock (optional)
- 10 cups water
- 3 pounds assorted greens (i.e. kale, collards, mustard greens, turnip greens, spinach, chard, parsley, dandelion greens, beet greens), chopped (about 14 cups)
- Salt
- 1 pound smoked andouille sausage (optional)
Cajun Spice Blend
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon cayenne
- 1 teaspoon celery seed
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 tablespoons garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons sweet paprika
Directions
- Make the roux; heat the cup of peanut oil or lard over medium heat for a minute or two and then stir in the flour; mix so there are no lumps
- Cook the roux over medium-low heat until it is the color of chocolate; watch for burning
- While the roux is cooking, bring the ten cups of water to a simmer
- When the roux is dark enough, mix in the chopped onions, celery and green pepper and turn the heat to medium (let this cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften)
- Add the garlic and cook another 1-2 minutes
- Add the bay leaves, the Cajun spice and slowly stir in the hot water
- Add ham hock and greens, covering the pot and letting it simmer for one hour and fifteen minutes
- Remove meat from ham hock bones, chop and return to pot (if hock is not ready yet, keep simmering and then do this process)
- Once the hock is ready, add the andouille sausage and cook for another 15 minutes
source: http://www.simplyrecipes.com/