Description
Okra is simmered in a thick gravy with shrimp, chicken, and Andouille sausage until the flavors deepen into a rich, velvety gumbo.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
roux
- 1/3 cup bacon drippings (use lard or canola oil if you don’t have bacon drippings)
- 1/3 cup flour
holy trinity
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 1 cup chopped green bell pepper
stock
- 8 cups fish or chicken stock
seasonings
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon of Tabasco sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
vegetables
- 1 pound of sliced fresh okra (if fresh okra is not available, a 16 ounce package of frozen okra will do fine)
- 1 cup chopped fresh tomatoes
protein
- 1 pound chicken thighs, boneless, chopped
- 1 andouille sausage, sliced
- 1 pound raw shrimp, shelled and deveined (seasoned with 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper and 1 teaspoon garlic powder)
garnish
- 1 scallion, finely sliced
Instructions
- In a small bowl season shrimp with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Cover and keep in fridge.
- Heat bacon drippings in a Dutch oven or large, heavy pot over medium heat. Brown the chicken on all sides. Transfer chicken to a plate. Set aside.
- Make a roux by adding flour to the bacon drippings. Whisk fat and flour together continuously while the mixture bubbles. Lower heat to lowest setting possible and stir occasionally for 2-5 minutes until a caramel color develops. You can take this further and make a dark roux by continuing to watch and stir the roux until the color develops to a dark brown, but be careful not to burn the roux by walking away from it. This is a good time to prep ingredients while stopping to stir the roux from time to time.
- Add onions, celery and green peppers. Cook until tender, stirring occasionally.
- Whisk in stock. Raise heat and bring to a boil. Whisk until roux and stock are combined and form a thick gravy.
- Return chicken to pot.
- Stir in seasonings, tomatoes, okra, and andouille sausage. Bring to a boil. Then lower heat and simmer, covered for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. At this point you can set the gumbo aside or refrigerate it until ready to eat.
- When it is time to serve, bring gumbo to a boil. Stir in raw shrimp. Cook shrimp for 3-5 minutes or until shrimp turns pink and opaque and the tails turn bright red. Serve gumbo immediately.
- Garnish with sliced scallions. Serve with rice.
Notes
If you don't have time to make a dark roux, cook the roux until it bubbles for a few minutes.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 and 1/2 hours
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Boil
- Cuisine: American