Shrimp Gumbo

Recipe courtesy Alton Brown, 2007

Show: Good EatsEpisode: Bowl O' Bayou

Rated: 5 stars out of 5Rate itRead users' reviews (101)

RECIPE
COMMENTS & REVIEWS(101)

Cook Time:
2 hr 30 min
Level:
Intermediate
Yield:
6 servings

Times:

Prep: 1 hr 0 min
Inactive Prep: --
Cook: 2 hr 30 min
Total:: 3 hr 30 min

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Ingredients

4 ounces vegetable oil
4 ounces all-purpose flour
1 1/2 pounds raw, whole, head-on medium-sized (31-50 count) shrimp
2 quarts water
1 cup diced onion
1/2 cup diced celery
1/2 cup diced green peppers
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1/2 cup peeled, seeded and chopped tomato
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 bay leaves
1/2 pound andouille sausage, cut into 1/4-inch pieces and browned
1 tablespoon file powder

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place the vegetable oil and flour into a 5 to 6-quart cast iron Dutch oven and whisk together to combine. Place on the middle shelf of the oven, uncovered, and bake for 1 1/2 hours, whisking 2 to 3 times throughout the cooking process.

While the roux is baking, de-head, peel and devein the shrimp. Place the shrimp in a bowl and set in the refrigerator. Place the heads and shells in a 4-quart saucepan along with the 2 quarts of water, set over high heat and bring to a boil. Decrease the heat to low and simmer for 1 hour or until the liquid has reduced to 1-quart. Remove from the heat and strain the liquid into a container, discarding the solids.

Once the roux is done, carefully remove it from the oven and set over medium-high heat. Gently add the onions, celery, green peppers and garlic and cook, moving constantly for 7 to 8 minutes or until the onions begin to turn translucent. Add the tomatoes, salt, black pepper, thyme, cayenne pepper, and bay leaves and stir to combine. Gradually add the shrimp broth while whisking continually. Decrease the heat to low, cover and cook for 35 minutes. Turn off the heat, add the shrimp and sausage and stir to combine. Add the file powder while stirring constantly. Cover and allow to sit for 10 minutes prior to serving. Serve over rice.

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Comments & Reviews

recipe Shrimp Gumbo
Olivia Dothan, AL 02-08-2010
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Without Okra..it's just soup!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

Thank you Campbell from Elberta, AL....I have been saying the same thing for a while now...while Alton's recipe is... delicious...it is just good soup...The roux is fine...and ya gotta have a good roux to make a good gumbo...I cook mine on the stove top...not such a hard job...jus' gotta know how to do it. But, Okra is Gumbo and without the addition of the African-orginated pods...all ya got is soup. Try this recipe and add some cut okra the last 30 minutes or so..let your gumbo simmer..the sliminess of the okra cooks out. My gumbo is thick but it is not slimy one bit..I only add my shrimp the last few minutes of cooking. I really like to saute it a little before adding to the gumbo and I hate my shrimp over cooked. File powder is the only way to go for the File gumbo. I love Alton's show and his recipes are great--even without the Okra!!Read more
recipe Shrimp Gumbo
Jen Herndon, VA 02-07-2010
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Wonderful!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

The recipe as is, is 5 stars, but this time I made some changes. First of all, my roux takes waaaay longer than 1 1/2 hours,... but I am probably being cautious, even cooking it in the oven. This time, I used a combination of 1/2 shrimp broth and 1/2 chicken stock (from 3 bone-in, skin on breasts, which I then simmered in the gumbo). Tomatoes are awful this time of year, so I used drained, petite-diced tomatoes. Cajun, creole, or neither... this is just good eats period!Read more
recipe Shrimp Gumbo
Joseph Midlothian, VA 02-06-2010
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Best Since I Left NOLA
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

This is an excellent gumbo recipe. If you have blue crabs, clean and cut them in half when you add the shrimp or just add a... can of crab meat. King crab legs work well too. I can beat Alton when it comes to preparing roux. I don't particularly enjoy standing over a hot stove and constantly stirring oil and flour for over an hour, so I just unscrew the jar top from the roux I buy ready made at the grocery. I get mine on the Specialty Foods aisle at my local Kroger in Midlothian, Virginia. It comes in light brown and chocolate varieties (mahogany if you prefer). Locally, it's $4.99 for a 1 lb. jar. That's enough for 2 batches of Alton's gumbo recipe. Since I was born and raised in New Orleans, and I'm an alum of the University of Louisiana Lafayette (class of '70 when it was USL), you might find this sacreligeous. But because the roux is made at Southern Seasonings, Inc. in Broussard, Louisiana (phone 337-837-8866), I think you can cut me some slack. Read more
recipe Shrimp Gumbo
Linda Mount Pleasant, SC 02-02-2010
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Time Intensive but Worth It
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

This recipe is going to be a 'lifer'. I've made it twice so far. It's got a great level of spiciness and a great taste... overall. I was really happy with the Aidells brand andoulle sausage I used, but will probably try to find a nitrate-free kind next time, if that even exists. I also had the luxury of using shrimp that my husband caught during shrimping season. Unfortunately he had already de-headed them at the dock, but the shells still created amazing fresh flavored stock. The only downside is the time it takes to cook that roux, and all of the shrimp deveining - my least favorite kitchen task. Don't even attempt cleaning those shrimp if you don't own a deveining tool! Add some nice crusty bread, long grain rice and a little extra file to sprinkle on top - perfect.Read more
recipe Shrimp Gumbo
Kandi Scottsdale, AZ 02-01-2010
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Missing Something...
Rated: 3 stars out of 5

I was not very impressed. It seemed to have been missing something. Although i did like how the roux is made. Its alot... easier than traditional ways of making roux. I also added okra at the last 20 min of cooking. I also added 1 cup of clam juice to my stock broth. Read more
recipe Shrimp Gumbo
Jared Rancho Cucamonga , CA 01-26-2010
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An excellent dish
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

Probably my favorite dish to make. This gumbo is perfectly seasoned, not to hot, not to mild. A great beginner recipe. Prep... is easy enough and cooking is simple to do. A huge hit every time a make it.Read more