Gumbo
- Level: Intermediate
- Yield: approximately 1 gallon
- Total: 2 hr 15 min
- Prep: 45 min
- Cook: 1 hr 30 min
Ingredients
2 cups Andouille sausage, cut 1/4-inch thick rounds
1 cup roughly chopped celery
1 1/2 cups roughly chopped onions
2 cups roughly chopped green and/or red bell peppers
2 tablespoons roughly chopped garlic
2 cups diced and drained tomatoes
1 tablespoon Creole seasoning of choice (recommended: J.O. spice seasoning)
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1 tablespoon hot sauce
6 cups shrimp stock, recipe follows
1 1/2 pounds size 31 to 35 shrimp, peeled and de-veined (save shells for stock)
3 cups select oysters
1/2 pound blue crab claw meat, picked over, or 6 prime soft shell crabs, top shells peeled off, cut up
3 cups fresh or frozen okra, cut into 1/2-inch dice
2 tablespoons sassafras or file powder
Roux, recipe follows
Shrimp Stock:
Shrimp shells from 1 1/2 pounds of shrimp (save shrimp for gumbo)
6 cups water
Salt
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup chopped celery
2 to 3 cloves garlic, crushed
Roux:
1 cup flour
1/2 cup oil
1/4 cup minced celery
1/4 cup minced onions
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
Directions
- In a large gumbo pot, brown Andouille sausage over medium-high heat. Add celery, onions, bell peppers, and garlic and cook until translucent. Add tomatoes and seasonings and cook for a few minutes. Add shrimp stock, reduce the heat, and let it come to a slow boil. Next, add all the seafood (make sure your pot is at a slow boil before you add your seafood). After a few minutes, add okra and cook for 5 minutes. Add sassafras or file and cook over low heat for another 10 to 20 minutes.
- Add the roux, stirring it into the gumbo until thickened like a light gravy that coats the back of a spoon. Serve with cooked white rice and garnish with white lump crabmeat or cocktail crab claws, if desired.
Shrimp Stock:
- Cover shrimp shells with water in a large pot and bring to a boil. You may have to add more water during the cooking time to maintain the same level of water. Season with salt and add onions, celery, and garlic. After boiling for 30 minutes to 1 hour, strain stock and discard solids.
Roux:
- Mix the flour and oil together well in a large saute pan. Place on stove and cook over medium heat for 30 to 45 minutes or until dark brown. When you take the pan off the heat, add celery, onion, and Worcestershire sauce while the roux is hot. Let stand off the heat until the mixture in the gumbo pot has finished cooking.