This is a relatively easy gumbo recipe that is delicious.
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon oregano
- 1 large onion diced
- 1 tablespoon thyme
- 3 bell peppers diced, any color (i used 2 red, 1 orange)
- 2 pounds ocra frozen (2 x 16 ounce bags)
- 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 14.5-oz can diced tomatoes with juices
- 6 cups clam juice or fish stock
- 1 32-oz box 99% fat free chicken broth
- 2 1/2 tablespoons emeril's original essence seasoning (creole seasoning)
- 12 ounces andouille sausage cut into slices
- 1 link kielbasa cut into quarters and sliced
- 1 large shrimp frozen, tail on, uncooked
- 1 16-oz container lump crabmeat picked over to remove shell fragments
- 2 cups white rice cooked for serving
- 6 cloves garlic pressed or minced
- 1 8-oz package diced ham 96% fat free
- 1 bunch parsley and fresh flat-leaf chopped
- Carbohydrate 49.908284 g
- Cholesterol 88.6647771088 mg
- Fat 54.347583458128 g
- Fiber 3.09466002078056 g
- Protein 31.733242265888 g
- Saturated Fat 9.2736625530864 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (644g)
- Sodium 1997.1544289728 mg
- Sugar 46.8136239792194 g
- Trans Fat 2.45885306635038 g
- Calories 818 calories
Step-by-step
- Saute the sausage and ham in a large dutch oven over medium heat for about 5 -10 minutes; stirring occasionally. Transfer to a bowl and reserve until later. (Refrigerate if done in advance.)
- In the same pot, over medium heat, warm the 1/2 cup oil for 2 minutes. Whisk in the flour until incorporated. Cook the roux, stirring constantly, until it is a rich chocolate colored brown, about 15-20 minutes. Add the onion and bell peppers and cook, stirring occasionally until soft, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more.
- Add tomatoes with their juices, clam and chicken stock, bay leaves, creole seasoning, oregano, and thyme. Increase to medium-high and bring to a boil. Add ocra, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 30 minutes to blend flavors.
- Stir in the sausage, ham, shrimp and crabmeat and cook until the shrimp are pink, 3-5 minutes more. Adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and discard bay leaves. Garnish with parsley.
- To serve, ladle gumbo on top of white rice in soup bowls.
- Optional: Gumbo is traditionally thickened in two ways, the first being the ocra added during cooking. The second is by adding file powder to the soup just before serving (for this recipe: 1 Tablespoon). Depending on which part of the country you live in, this may be difficult to find in local supermarkets. This gumbo recipe is delicious without the added file powder, if you choose not to use it. If you like it a little thicker, you could also try adding cornstarch to the broth, in lieu of file powder. (I would mix 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 3 tablespoons cold water and add it the soup at the same time as the sausage and seafood.)
Building a deep, chocolate-colored roux requires constant vigilance, as vegetable oil and all-purpose flour can quickly transition from properly toasted to scorched in a matter of seconds. When building flavor bases in a heavy Dutch oven, specific management of heat and moisture transforms basic pantry stables into a deeply complex stew.
- Maintain medium heat when cooking the flour and oil mixture, whisking continuously for 15 to 20 minutes to achieve an even dark brown hue without burning the lipids.
- Rinse frozen okra thoroughly under warm water and pat dry before simmering to minimize excess mucilage if a thinner broth is preferred.
- Substitute fish stock with bottled clam juice at a 1:1 ratio when marine liquids are unavailable, keeping in mind that commercial clam juice contributes a significantly higher sodium concentration.
- Fold lump crabmeat through a fine-mesh sieve before incorporating it into the pot to catch any stray shell fragments that escape manual picking.
- Store leftovers in airtight glass containers for up to three days at 38 degrees Fahrenheit, allowing the complex spice blend to mature further overnight.
Adjusting this dish for different dietary needs is straightforward by swapping pork sausage for turkey varieties or omitting shellfish entirely in favor of additional root vegetables. Proper temperature control during the final three to five minutes ensures delicate shrimp reach opaque pink perfection without turning rubbery.
