This authentic little recipe uses the king of all sausages, spicy andouille sausage, with shrimp and traditional gumbo fixings. Simmering the shrimp shells in the broth adds distinct flavor, but you can skip this step and start with peeled shrimp.
Made this for dinner and it was as good as the other reviewers suggested. Start 3-4 hours ahead of time! Between shelling and de-veining the shrimp, cooking down the shrimp shells and making the roux, it is time intensive but worth it. I followed the proportions and made it as written except I added some additional smoked chicken. The roux took 50 minutes, perhaps because I didn't have it hot enough.
Very very good recipe. I used fresh jumbo red shrimp straight from Florida, smoked pepper sausage, and added chicken. Definitely a recipe to make on the weekend when you have some more time, I cooked the roux for close to an hour. 3 hours invested from start to finish and oh so worth it. I recommend adding some chicken, I used frozen raw chicken tenderloins and cubed them, it helps break up the sausage flavor. Also, I cooked the sausage at a medium low heat with the lid on for some time, it helps pull the grease out thus you can add less oil and keep more of the smoky flavor from the sausage grease. Let the roux take it's time, use a whisk and rubber spatula for stirring, and keep going for that melted chocolate brown color. You'll know it when you see it.
Do yourself 2 favors; Make a double batch, and have nice crusty bread for dipping.
***Picture of roux only- not dark enough.. keep cooking. the darker the roux, the deeper the flavor.
Just like in the "Big Easy"! The roux is a lengthy process, but worth the time!
Absolutely fabulous. I followed the directions to the "t"......except.....I thinly sliced half a package of frozen whole okra and put it in the gumbo for the last 15 minutes of simmering. So good.............
I was lucky enough to find seafood cooking stock, so I replaced one quart of the chicken stock with it and skipped the boiling of the shells. What fantastic flavor! I found the spices and seasoning to be just perfect. I wanted it a little thicker, so on a whim, I threw in half a bag of frozen sliced okra toward the end and that did the trick. The flavor was great with the shrimp, too!
We just got back from New Orleans, where we had our first taste of Gumbo at a little restaurant called Deja Vu in the French Quarter. Being totally in love with this dish, I decided to start looking for a recipe that resembled the taste of the authentic Gumbo we had in New Orleans. THIS IS IT! I did not change one thing, it cooked up perfectly just as it is.
Made this on Superbowl Sunday. Great flavors. Glad I only put two teaspoons of hot sauce or it would have been too spicy for us.
With the weather turning cold so quickly here in VA, I decided I wanted something hot and delcious for dinner. I found this recipe and tried it today; which happens to be my first time making Gumbo ever! It turned out awesome!! We will keep and use this recipe for years to come.
This was my first time making a true Cajun dark roux, and really my first time to make gumbo - and it turned out DELICIOUS! My husband and his friend who joined us for dinner kept saying "this is so, so good!" I worried that I had burned the roux, but everything turned out fine. Next time I'll make sure to be more careful so that it's not even a question. I used venison sausage (we hunt and have a large amount of venison on hand) and precooked, frozen salad shrimp and skipped the step where you simmer the chicken broth and shrimp shells. I'll definitely be making another (double) batch soon to freeze for later! Will be a nice addition to our freezer stash of venison spahetti and chili.
A little time consuming I made this without the shrimp and it was still yummy. The hubby really enjoyed it.
This recipe was OUTSTANDING! I scaled back the flour to 1/2 cup, but that is the only thing I changed. My roux turned an awesome chocolatey color. The shrimp was so tender, it just melted in your mouth. My creole seasoning I bought in New Orleans. This was the best gumbo I've ever had! Thank you for the recipe!
So tasty and authentic! The roux took forever but was so worth it. I disagree with the previous reviewer and did the 2:1 flour:fat ratio and it made a perfect roux that eventually became a beautiful chocolate brown...you just have to be patient!
I'm cooking this recipe right now - smells great! One problem - I think there's a typo with either the flour or the vegetable oil - if you use the proportions in the recipe (1 cup flour, 1/2 cup oil) then you end up with dough, not a roux! The usual proportion is closer to 1-to-1 for the flour and fats - I used 1 cup of oil with the 1 cup of flour, and it seemed to work just fine.
I haven't tried it yet, but I had to comment. This is one of the very few gumbo recipes, on the internet, that actually is made the way we Cajuns make our gumbo, so I don't have to try it to know that it would be good. I would also have had chicken in mine, cut into serving pieces and browned first. It would have been a stewing chicken and the gumbo would have simmered all day to tenderize it and bring out the flavors.
