Gumbo

We’ve made gumbo a few times. But I think my partner has hit the mark on this one. This recipe turned out absolutely fantastic. This is easily the best tasting Gumbo I’ve had.

I never trust the web to keep the information I link to. But the original post is here. You can get a fantastic walk through on making it with pictures.

Authentic New Orleans Style Gumbo

This Authentic New Orleans Gumbo is made with a dark roux, vegetables, chicken, sausage, and shrimp, and served over rice.

Approximately: 6 servings

Equipment

• Enameled Pot

Ingredients

For the Roux:

• 1 heaping cup all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup oil (vegetable or canola oil)

For the Gumbo:

• 1 bunch celery , diced, leaves and all
• 1 green bell pepper , diced
• 1 large yellow onion , diced
• 1 bunch green onion , finely chopped
• 1 bunch fresh chopped parsley , finely chopped
• 2-3 cloves garlic
• 1-2 Tablespoons cajun seasoning *
• 6-8 cups Chicken broth *
• 12 ounce package andouille sausages , sliced into ‘coins’ (substitute Polska Kielbasa if you can’t find a good Andouille)
• Meat from 1 Rotisserie Chicken*
• 2 cups Shrimps , pre cooked
• cooked white rice for serving

Instructions

• Make the Roux*: In a large, heavy bottom stock pot combine flour and oil. Cook on medium-low heat, stirring constantly for 30-45 minutes. This part takes patience–when it’s finished it should be as dark as chocolate and have a soft, “cookie dough” like consistency. Be careful not to let it burn! Feel free to add a little more flour or oil as needed to reach this consistency.
  
• Brown the sausage. In a separate skillet on medium-high heat place the sausage slices in one layer in the pan. Brown them well on one side (2-3 minutes) and then use a fork to flip each over onto the other side to brown. Remove to a plate.
  
• Cook the vegetables in broth. Add 1/2 cup of the chicken broth to the hot skillet that had the sausage to deglaze the pan. Pour the broth and drippings into your large soup pot. 
  
• Add remaining 5 1/2 cups of chicken broth. Add veggies, parsley, garlic and roux to the pot and stir well. 
  
• Bring to a boil over medium heat and boil for 5-7 minutes, or until the vegetables are slightly tender. (Skim off any foam that may rise to the top of the pot.) Stir in cajun seasoning, to taste.
  
• Add meat. Add chicken, sausage, and shrimp.
  
• Taste and serve. At this point taste it and add more seasonings to your liking–salt, pepper, chicken bullion paste, garlic, more Joe’s stuff or more chicken broth–until you reach the perfect flavor. Serve warm over rice. (Tastes even better the next day!)

Notes

Roux: The roux can be made 3-5 days in advance, stored in a large resealable bag in the fridge.

Cajun seasoning: My preferred brand is Joe’s Stuff Cajun Seasoning but I can usually only find it online. You could use any brand, but may need to adjust the amount added, to taste. You can also make your own cajun seasoning. (We used Zatarans)

Chicken and broth:The best way to make this gumbo is by buying a rotisserie chicken–removing all the chicken, and using the carcass to make homemade chicken broth. Then make the gumbo using the chicken and homemade broth. You can use store-bought chicken broth, but homemade is way better! Here’s a tutorial for making it from scratch.

Storing Instructions:  Store Gumbo covered in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.  

Freezing Instructions: This recipe makes quite a lot, so save leftovers for another day!  To freeze gumbo, allow it to cool completely and store it in a freezer safe container (separate from the rice) for 2-3 months.  Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat on the stove or in the microwave.