Smothered And Covered Shrimp Gumbo
Shrimp is one of my favorite foods. I also love making gumbo, so this recipe is perfect for me. It’s easy to make and tastes delicious!
Arguments about how to cook gumbo are the only thing more New Orleans than a dented pot of it simmering on the back burner. Gumbo is a thick stew that is eaten over rice and has a tradition that claims both French and West African roots. It is created using a roux, which is a blend of butter and flour, and a range of vegetables, including celery, peppers, okra, onions, chicken, sausage, and/or seafood. Due to the abundance of possibilities, each family created its own special recipes, which sparks passionate discussion on which one is better.
What is Gumbo?
The holy trinity vegetables—bell peppers, onions, and celery—along with a variety of meats—andouille sausage, chicken, and seafood—form the foundation of the dark stew known as gumbo. Cajun gumbo is traditionally made with chicken and andouille sausage. To increase the level of convenience in this dish, shredded rotisserie chicken can be used in lieu of the raw chicken thighs, and most major supermarkets sell the holy trinity veggies already chopped.
On the other hand, the dark roux takes steady stirring over medium heat, so take your time with this step. Burnt roux will come by rushing the process or raising the temperature. In a pinch, busy chefs might choose to bake the roux gently in the oven, which takes more time but requires less supervision. The roux should become milk chocolate-colored with time and effort, making the gumbo more delicious and really Cajun.
Shrimp Gumbo
The first step to making gumbo is to use the largest pot you have. Add oil to the pot, then add onions, garlic, bell pepper and celery. Once these have cooked down a bit (about 5 minutes), add tomatoes, okra and shrimp. Season with salt and pepper as needed; also add thyme, bay leaves and cayenne pepper at this point if desired. Stir everything together well so that all ingredients are coated in oil before adding rice (you should have 1 cup of uncooked rice for every 2 cups of liquid). Finally add water or stock until it covers all ingredients by about half an inch—no more than 2 inches total!
Ingredients
- 1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 1 cup chopped bell pepper (any color)
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 1 cup chopped okra, fresh or frozen (thawed)
Directions
- Cook the shrimp:
- In a large pot, heat the canola oil over medium-high heat until it shimmers and is just beginning to smoke. Add the butter, garlic and onion and saute until translucent but not browned (about 3 minutes). Add the shrimp and cook until opaque throughout (about 5 minutes). Remove from pan with slotted spoon; keep warm in covered bowl or on plate in 200°F oven while preparing remaining ingredients.
- Cook sausage:
- In same pot used for shrimp mixture, add sausage links to pan drippings; turn as needed so that all are browned evenly on all sides (about 8 minutes). Remove links from pan with slotted spoon; keep warm in covered bowl or on plate in 200°F oven while preparing remaining ingredients.
- Cook chicken pieces:
- b) Alternatively, you could use boneless and skinless chicken thighs instead of sausage links if preferred – just add these whole directly into hot oil along with some salt & pepper then continue cooking as directed above for another 4-5 minutes per side before removing from pan with tongs onto paper towel lined plate where they’ll continue cooking slightly under cover of foil before being added back into soup later when ready to serve!
This recipe is delicious.
This shrimp gumbo is delicious. It’s easy to make, it’s healthy, it’s fun to make and it’s perfect for a party! In fact, this shrimp gumbo is so good that everyone will want to eat it on their date with you.
Best to Serve with Gumbo
White rice, scallion garnish, filé powder, and a few squirts of Tabasco spicy sauce are typical accompaniments to gumbo. Since making the roux is such a labor of love, feeding gumbo to a large group of people is excellent. This recipe is easy to do and tastes great!
I hope you enjoy it as much as I do! This recipe is delicious. It’s easy to make, it’s healthy, it’s fun to make and it’s perfect for a party! In fact, this shrimp gumbo is so good that everyone will want to eat it on their date with you. Best to Serve with Gumbo White rice, scallion garnish, filé powder, and a few squirts of Tabasco spicy sauce are typical accompaniments to gumbo. Since making the roux is such a labor of love.
