Eric's Gumbo

INGREDIENTS FOR THE GUMBO: 

 

•1 stick of unsalted butter 

•1/2 cup of all-purpose flour 

 •1 medium green bell pepper 

•1 medium yellow pepper 

•1 medium red pepper 

•1 large yellow onion 

•3 stalks celery (optional) 

•6 cloves garlic 

 •2 teaspoons dried thyme, plus more as needed 

•1 and 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, plus more as needed 

•1 and 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more as needed 

•1 and 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika, plus more as needed 

•1 teaspoon white pepper 

•1 teaspoon dried basil 

•1 teaspoon dried oregano 

•1 teaspoon dried marjoram 

•1 teaspoon dried rosemary 

•1 teaspoon dried basil 

•1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, plus more as needed 

•2 bay leaves 

•14 ounces andouille sausage 

•1 pound peeled and de-veined shrimp, fresh or thawed 

•6 cups chicken stock, at room temperature 

•2 cups of chopped okra 

 

 INGREDIENTS FOR THE CHICKEN STOCK: 

•1 whole chicken 

•3 large potatoes 

•2 large carrots 

•1 teaspoon dried thyme 

•1 teaspoon sea salt 

•8 cups of water 

•1 lemon 

•6 cloves of garlic  

 

FOR SERVING: 

 •1/2 bunch medium scallions 

•3 cups cooked white rice 

•Crystal or Tabasco hot sauce  

 

EQUIPMENT 

 •Cutting board and knife 

•Measuring cups and spoons 

•2 Medium bowls 

•Small bowl •Large pot or Dutch oven 

•Wooden spoon 

 

 INSTRUCTIONS 

Cut the vegetables:  

Prepare the following, placing each in the same medium bowl as you complete it:  

Trim and dice 1 medium green bell pepper (1 1/2 cups), 1 medium yellow bell pepper (1 1/2 cups), 1 medium red bell pepper (1 1/2 cups),1 large yellow onion (2 cups), okra, and 3 celery stalks (1 1/2 cups). Add 6 cloves of minced garlic. 

Prepare the following, placing each in the same medium bowl as you complete it:  

Dice 2 carrots, 3 large potatoes

Prepare the remaining aromatics: Prepare the following, placing each in the same small bowl as you complete it: Mince 6 garlic cloves; coarsely chop the leaves from 1/2 bunch fresh parsley, if using, until you have about 1/2 cup; add 2 tablespoons of the salt-free Cajun seasoning, 2 teaspoons dried thyme, 2 bay leaves, and 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper; stir to combine. 

Boil the chicken: Place whole chicken in pot (remove head, feet, and innerds). Season inside of bird with salt, pepper, and thyme. Prick skin of lemon all over and insert lemon into bird cavity. Insert 6 garlic cloves into bird cavity. Fill pot with 6-8 cups of water. Add diced potatoes and diced carrots to water. Boil 90 minutes. Remove chicken to plate to cool. Strain out veggetables, save stock and set aside. Place cooked vegetables in bowl. 

Add shrimp to chicken stock while stock is still hot.

Cook the sausage: Cut 14 ounces andouille sausage crosswise into 1/2- inch-thick rounds, then quarter. Cook in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat until the sausage is browned all over and releases its fat, about 5 minutes. Transfer the sausage to a plate. Brown the chicken: Debone and shredd chicken. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and the chicken to the pot. Cook, stirring often, until the chicken is browned all over, about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken to the plate of sausage. 

Cook the roux: Reduce the heat to medium. Scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon. Add unsalted butter and wait for it to melt. Add 1/2 cup all-purpose flour. Cook, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom of the pot with the wooden spoon, until the roux resembles the color and texture of melted dark chocolate, 10 to 20 minutes. It will go from smelling like flour to toasted popcorn to nutty coffee. Don’t turn your back on the roux or it will burn! 

Add the aromatics and bell pepper mixture. Stir to coat in the roux. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are translucent, about 10 minutes. Add minced garlic and seasonings. Cook, stirring frequently, until the garlic is fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the sausage and chicken and any accumulated juices to the pot. 

Simmer: Add 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered until the gumbo is thickened slightly and the flavors have melded, 35 to 45 minutes. Add a splash of Worcestershire sauce to the pot. 

Meanwhile, thinly slice 1/2 bunch scallions and cook white rice for serving if desired. 

Serve: Taste and season with more kosher salt as needed. The gumbo can be served immediately or the day after (which is when it tastes best). Serve with a scoop of cooked white rice, scallions, a dash of Crystal hot sauce. 

RECIPE NOTES 

Cajun seasoning – If the Cajun seasoning you have is salted, you can still use it! Just reduce the amount of salt you add while tasting at the end. To make your own Cajun seasoning for this recipe, combine 1 1/2 teaspoon paprika, 1 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, 3/4 teaspoon onion powder, 3/4 teaspoon dried oregano, and 3/4 teaspoon dried thyme. 

Filé powder – Filé powder, also known as gumbo filé, is an herbal powder made of ground-up sassafras leaves, a common herb found in Southern cooking. It has a tea-like, earthy smell that balances out the rich flavors of gumbo while also adding a natural thickener. Filé powder can be found in most spice sections of large grocery stores (most likely Zataran’s brand of gumbo filé). If you can’t find filé powder, no worries. Your gumbo will still be rich with flavor. 

Shrimp: Seafood is more common to Creole gumbos (which is the French version including tomatoes and butter) but can certainly be added to this classic Cajun recipe. If using shrimp instead of the chicken and sausage, add 1 pound peeled, deveined shrimp during the last 10 minutes of the final simmering stage. If adding to chicken and sausage, use only 8 ounces. 

Tomatoes: Tomatoes are more common to Creole gumbos (which is a variation of gumbo with richer ingredients like butter and seafood, adapted by the French). I personally love tomatoes in gumbo because it adds a savory umami flavor and a natural thickener that replaces okra. If you’d like to add tomatoes to this recipe, purée 1 (14-ounce) can diced fire-roasted tomatoes and add to the pot at the same time the sausage and chicken are added. No need to reduce the amount of chicken broth. 

Okra: Okra is often added to gumbo in lieu of chicken and sausage in central and northern parts of Louisiana. Its slimy consistency is a natural thickener for gumbo. If you are a fan of the vegetable, add 8 ounces okra cut crosswise into 1/4-inch pieces to the pot when the garlic mixture is added. 

Make ahead: Gumbo can definitely be made ahead and even tastes better the day after it’s cooked. Cool then refrigerate the entire pot, covered, for up to 2 days. Reheat over low heat. Storage: Refrigerator leftover gumbo in airtight containers for up to 5 days.