New Orleans Creole Gumbo (Print Version)
# Ingredients:
→ Making the Roux
01 -
¾ cup bacon grease
02 -
1 cup plain flour
→ Veggies & Spices
03 -
2 (10-ounce) packs frozen okra, defrosted
04 -
1 green bell pepper, chopped into big pieces
05 -
1 onion, cut into rough chunks
06 -
2 minced garlic cloves
07 -
1 cup chopped celery, roughly cut
→ Seafood & Sausage
08 -
1 lb sliced andouille sausage
09 -
3 lbs uncooked medium shrimp, cleaned and shells removed
10 -
1 lb crabmeat, lump-style
→ Broth & Mix-Ins
11 -
6 beef bouillon cubes
12 -
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
13 -
1 (6-ounce) can tomato sauce
14 -
2 tbsp vinegar (white and plain)
15 -
3 quarts water
16 -
1 (14.5-ounce) can stewed tomatoes
17 -
2 tbsp hot sauce (like Tabasco)
→ Flavor Boosters
18 -
4 teaspoons file powder, split
19 -
½ tsp Cajun spice blend (like Tony Chachere's)
20 -
½ tsp dried thyme
21 -
4 dried bay leaves
22 -
A bit of salt, to your liking
23 -
1 tbsp sugar
# Instructions:
01 -
Pour the bacon fat and flour into a big, heavy pan over low-medium heat. Stir non-stop until smooth and let cook for around 20-30 minutes until it looks dark brown like mahogany. Pull it off the heat and whisk a little longer so it doesn't burn as it cools.
02 -
Use a food processor to finely chop big-cut pieces of celery, onion, bell pepper, and garlic.
03 -
Add the sausage slices and the chopped veggies into the roux. Heat at medium-low while stirring until the veggies soften, about 10-15 minutes. Put it aside for now.
04 -
Fill a Dutch oven with water and drop in your bouillon cubes. Bring it all to a rolling boil, then blend the roux mixture into this broth.
05 -
Turn the broth mixture to a gentle simmer. Toss in sugar, hot sauce, Cajun seasoning, salt, thyme, tomato sauce, bay leaves, and chopped tomatoes. Let it bubble gently for about 45 minutes. Stir the first two teaspoons of file powder into the pot.
06 -
Heat the okra in a splash of bacon grease and the vinegar for 15 minutes in a frying pan. Use a slotted spoon to drop the cooked okra into the main pot.
07 -
Mix in the crabmeat, shrimp, and Worcestershire sauce to the gumbo. Let everything cook gently for another 45 minutes. Right before eating, stir in the last bit of file powder. Serve it warm on top of rice.
# Notes:
01 -
This New Orleans Creole-style dish has been lovingly improved through years of tradition.
02 -
Store leftovers in the fridge or freezer—it often tastes even better after sitting for a day.