There’s nothing subtle about New Orleans, and its iconic gumbo is no exception. Spicy Andouille sausage, Cajun/Creole seasonings and the “holy trinity” of onion, celery and green pepper come together in a celebration of flavor and texture. Slow-simmering the roux until it becomes the color of a rich milk chocolate is a must to get the signature flavor. This recipe is an adaptation from the New Orleans School of Cooking.
New Orleans-style Gumbo
Spicy Andouille sausage, Cajun/Creole seasonings and the "holy trinity" of onion, celery and green pepper come together in a celebration of flavor and texture. Slow-simmering the roux until it becomes the color of a rich milk chocolate is a must to get the signature flavor. This recipe is an adaptation from the New Orleans School of Cooking.
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter, oil or lard
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 2-3 cups cooked chicken chopped
- 1 lb. Andouille or smoked sausage sliced
- 2 cups onion chopped
- 1 cup celery chopped
- 1 cup green pepper chopped
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 5-6 cups chicken or vegetable stock
- 1-2 Tbsp. Creole or Cajun seasoning (to taste)
- 1 cup fresh or frozen okra chopped (optional)
- 1/2 lb. frozen raw shrimp (optional)
- hot cooked rice (if desired)
Instructions
- In a sauce pan, heat the stock and keep it warm while completing the remaining steps.
- Brown the sausage in a large pot over medium heat. Once browned, remove sausage from the pan and sauté onion, celery, green pepper and garlic in the remaining fat. (Add some vegetable oil if needed.)
- In a separate sauce pan, make the roux by melting butter or lard (or heating the oil, if using) over low heat. Add the flour. Simmer, stirring almost constantly until the roux becomes the color of milk chocolate. This could take 15-20 minutes or more.
- Add the sausage back into the large pot and add the roux. Ladle the stock 1-2 scoops at a time. Stir until combined. Continue adding stock 1-2 ladles at a time until fully combined.
- Add the cooked chicken and seasoning. Simmer for approximately 30 minutes.
- Add okra (if using) and simmer an additional 30 minutes.
- About 5 minutes prior to serving, add shrimp (if using) and cook until the shrimp turns pink.
- Serve in a bowl over rice (if desired).