Gumbo

"This is originally a shrimp gumbo recipe, but it's gumbo, so you can add whatever turns you on. I always eat it with more than just a few dashes of Tabasco. I hope you like it."
 
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photo by anniesnomsblog photo by anniesnomsblog
photo by anniesnomsblog
photo by Christiana M. photo by Christiana M.
photo by Jennifer B. photo by Jennifer B.
photo by bvest818 photo by bvest818
photo by Angie M. photo by Angie M.
Ready In:
1hr
Ingredients:
13
Serves:
8
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ingredients

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directions

  • In a large stockpot combine oil and flour and cook over medium-high heat about 15 minutes or until it turns very dark brown, almost between brown and black.
  • You will have to stir almost constantly.
  • This is called the roux.
  • Add onions, parsley, celery, bell peppers, scallions and garlic and cook about 10 more minutes or until vegetables are tender, stirring regularly.
  • Add broth, salt, and creole seasoning.
  • (If you like you may also add a 10 oz package of frozen okra at this point, but I despise the stuff).
  • Cover pot and simmer 15 minutes stirring occasionally.
  • Add your chosen combination of meat at this point and simmer an additional 10 minutes (if using whole pieces of crab like claws, or blue crab halves cook a little longer to ensure they're cooked all the way.).
  • Ladle over steamed white rice.

Questions & Replies

  1. I see where you added scallions but I don't see where you added the "whole large onion. When do you add the whole onion?
     
  2. How do I print this recipe?
     
  3. I see a bunch of photos with sausages, but there is no mention of sausages in the recipe. What gives?
     
    • Review photo by Nakodota S.
  4. I want to put this on my Facebook page, but not working, help!
     
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Reviews

  1. This recipe is really tasty and easy to make.One thing I changed was omitting the salt. Theres salt in the creole seasoning I use, also in the sausage.
     
  2. I whipped this up last Sunday for Monday nights dinner as it was to be a very cold day. Allowing it to sit over night in the fridge really intensived the flavors. It was very easy to put together and I did add more tabasco as we do like our dishes on the hot side. I used shimp & chicken and it was excellent. This was right on. Thanks Kevin
     
  3. Gumbo isn't Gumbo without okra. ??
     
  4. This is very good but what happened to the File Gumbo powder at the very end? Never saw a Gumbo recipe without File Gumbo. I used bacon fat instead of oil, shrimp stock instead of chicken stock and of course okra. Follow this recipe and you won't go wrong. You will double it the next time you make it, because it goes fast.
     
  5. SUCCESS!! I've been avoiding making gumbo recipes because of my fear of "the roux." However, the other reviews on here were so encouraging that I thought I would give it a shot - and I'm so glad I did.<br/><br/>The first modification I did was to cook the roux over medium-low head instead of medium-high. I felt that I had more control over the roux. The next thing I did was cook it until it turned a light brown (almost like a peanut butter color). It's true that once you add the veggies in the roux will continue to cook.<br/><br/>Next I added 1/2 can of diced tomatoes, a bay leaf, and a dash of tobasco sauce. I also used 1.5 teaspoons of the creole seasoning because my friends like food on the spicier side. This dish was wonderful!!! My friends absolutely loved it and were disappointed that I didn't have more. I used 1 lb of shrimp and 1 lb of andouille sausage. Great comfort food and so easy!!
     
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Tweaks

  1. To this Louisiana girl, this recipe looks legit. But if red bell pepper is expensive, nix it and just use green. As for okra, if you let it cook down with the veggies, it will lose its slime and be delicious. The only thing I see wrong here is the picture---there should be plenty more liquid. Gumbo is basically a thick soup, not a dryish stew that sits on top of rice.
     
  2. You have Sausage OR Shrimp OR CHICKEN---I put Sausage AND shrimp AND Chicken AND Andue Sausage AND Crawdads (when in season), AND Crab (Dungenous).....when you make a Seafood Gumbo, ADD SEAFOOD AND PLENTY OF OTHER THINGS!!!!!!
     
  3. This is a pretty good gumbo recipe. I was a chef for many years and the last place I worked was a Cajun/Creole restaurant. I was cooking this cuisine long before I worked there but it's there that I perfected my skills. Needless to say I've made a lot of roux and a lot of gumbo. For those who are having trouble with their roux burning I suggest turning down the heat. I know stoves vary in heat output but in my opinion medium high heat is usually too high. I use a cast iron Dutch oven and start with medium heat. As the roux darkens I reduce the heat a little almost to low. The darkest roux I've ever used is a dark reddish-brown color, never almost black. In my book, you're better off with a roux that's too light than one that has a bitter burned flavor. I've also found that the roux will darken slightly when you add the veggies. I don't know why but it does for me. For the sausage the best by far is andouille sausage. It's a spicy smoked sausage. There are countless combinations of meats that can go into a gumbo but I think the use of a good andouille adds a smoke flavor that makes the gumbo taste great. If this isn't available you can substitute another smokey and spicy sausage. Regarding the use of okra, not all gumbos have okra in them. Gumbo File powder is an alternative to the thickening quality of okra and many recipes include either one or the other. I prefer the File powder because it not only thickens but adds a nice flavor. I also added a little tomato paste to this recipe as well as some cayenne pepper. If you are making a seafood gumbo, instead of using chicken stock you can use seafood stock or even bottled clam juice or a combination of these. Again, this made some pretty good gumbo and even if I didn't modify the recipe at all it would've turned out very good.
     
  4. I substituted chicken broth for vegetable stock and added catfish
     
  5. This recipe is extraordinary, I made it simply for a Monday night dinner. The only thing I changed was to use bacon grease instead of vegetable oil to make the roux, and used a bit more creole seasoning, and used shrimp, chicken and andouille sausage. My family ate all but I cup full the first night. Thank you for this quick and tasty meal!!!
     

RECIPE SUBMITTED BY

I am 31, and a cytotechnologist in the Navy (Don't know what it is? Don't feel bad, few people do)with just under 10 years to retirement. Kerrbear is my wife and we have two GREAT kids, Aidyn (4) and Kelsi (2). Next to my family hockey is my favorite thing in the world, watching, playing, anything to do with hockey, in particular my sons hockey and the Vancouver Canucks. After hockey cooking is the other thing I really enjoy. I'm very open to trying new foods of all cuisines, however the one thing I refuse to try is balut. I could not see myself trying it without MUCH help from a bottle of something very strong.
 
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