Good New Orleans Creole Gumbo
Cajun/CreoleMain Course

Good New Orleans Creole Gumbo

Prep
1 hour
Cook
2 hours 40 minutes
Total
3 hours 40 minutes
Serves
20
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Ingredients

Units
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup bacon drippings, plus 2 tbsp for okra
  • 1 cup coarsely chopped celery
  • 1 large onion, coarsely chopped
  • 1 large green bell pepper, coarsely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 lb andouille sausage, sliced
  • 3 quarts water
  • 6 cubes beef bouillon
  • 1 tbsp white sugar
  • Salt to taste
  • 2 tbsp hot pepper sauce (such as Tabasco), or to taste
  • 1/2 tsp Cajun seasoning blend (such as Tony Chachere's), or to taste
  • 4 bay leaves
  • 1/2 tsp dried thyme leaves
  • 1 (14.5 oz) can stewed tomatoes
  • 1 (6 oz) can tomato sauce
  • 4 tsp filé powder, divided
  • 2 (10 oz) packages frozen cut okra, thawed
  • 2 tbsp distilled white vinegar
  • 1 lb lump crabmeat
  • 3 lbs uncooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • Hot cooked rice, for serving

Instructions

  1. 1

    Make the roux: Whisk together flour and 3/4 cup bacon drippings in a large, heavy saucepan over medium-low heat until smooth. Cook roux, whisking constantly, until it turns a rich mahogany brown color, 20 to 30 minutes. Watch heat carefully and whisk constantly to prevent burning. Remove from heat and continue whisking until mixture stops cooking.

  2. 2

    Make the gumbo: Place celery, onion, green bell pepper, and garlic into a food processor and pulse until all vegetables are very finely chopped.

  3. 3

    Stir vegetables into the roux and mix in sausage. Bring mixture to a simmer over medium-low heat and cook until vegetables are tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

  4. 4

    Combine water and beef bouillon cubes in a large Dutch oven or soup pot and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir until bouillon cubes dissolve, then whisk roux mixture into the boiling water.

  5. 5

    Reduce heat to a simmer and mix in sugar, salt, hot pepper sauce, Cajun seasoning, bay leaves, thyme, stewed tomatoes, and tomato sauce. Simmer over low heat for 1 hour, mixing in 2 teaspoons of filé powder at the 45-minute mark.

  6. 6

    Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons bacon drippings in a skillet over medium heat. Add okra and vinegar and cook for 15 minutes. Remove okra with a slotted spoon and stir into the simmering gumbo.

  7. 7

    Mix in crabmeat, shrimp, and Worcestershire sauce. Simmer until flavors have blended, about 45 more minutes.

  8. 8

    Stir in remaining 2 teaspoons of filé powder just before serving. Remove bay leaves.

  9. 9

    Serve hot over cooked rice.

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