Description

Gumbo is the soul of Louisiana cooking — a thick, deeply flavored stew built on a dark roux that takes 45 minutes of constant stirring to achieve its signature color and nutty, almost chocolatey depth. Its name comes from the Bantu word for okra, and the dish reflects the meeting of African, French, Spanish, and Choctaw foodways in the bayou country. Whether you make it with seafood, chicken, or andouille, the roux is the foundation that everything else rests upon.

Ingredients

Units Scale

For the roux:

1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup all-purpose flour

For the gumbo:

1 pound andouille sausage, sliced into rounds
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into pieces
1 large yellow onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes
8 cups chicken stock
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 pound okra, sliced (fresh or frozen)
1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 tablespoon file powder (optional, for thickening)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Cooked white rice for serving
Sliced scallions for garnish

Instructions

Make the roux: heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium heat. Whisk in the flour until smooth. Cook, whisking or stirring constantly, for 35-45 minutes. The roux will progress from white to blond to peanut butter brown to a deep chocolate brown. It should smell like toasted nuts, not burnt. If you see any black specks, the roux has burned and you must start over.
Immediately add the onion, bell pepper, and celery to the dark roux — the vegetables will stop the cooking and sizzle vigorously. Stir constantly for 5-6 minutes as the vegetables soften in the residual heat.
Add the garlic and stir for 30 seconds. Gradually ladle in the chicken stock while stirring, incorporating it smoothly into the roux. It will thicken and then loosen as you add more stock.
Add the diced tomatoes, bay leaves, Cajun seasoning, thyme, and cayenne. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.
In a separate skillet, brown the andouille and chicken pieces. Add them to the pot. Simmer for 45 minutes, partially covered, stirring occasionally.
Add the okra and cook for another 15 minutes until tender. Add the shrimp in the last 5 minutes of cooking — they need only enough time to turn pink and curl.
Remove the bay leaves. Stir in the file powder off the heat if using (do not boil after adding file, as it becomes stringy). Taste and adjust salt, pepper, and cayenne.
Serve ladled over mounds of hot white rice in deep bowls, garnished with scallions.

Notes

The dark roux is the heart and soul of gumbo. There are no shortcuts — it requires 35-45 minutes of constant attention. If it burns, discard it and start over. The flavor of a properly made dark roux is irreplaceable.
The holy trinity — onion, bell pepper, celery — is added directly to the hot roux to arrest the cooking. Have it chopped and ready before you start the roux.
File powder (ground sassafras leaves) is a traditional Choctaw thickener added at the end. Okra and file are the two classic gumbo thickeners — some cooks use one, some the other, some both.

Category: Main Course
Cuisine: Louisiana Creole

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 serving