Good New Orleans Creole Gumbo

A proper New Orleans gumbo builds its soul from a deep, mahogany roux and the holy trinity of celery, onion, and bell pepper, enriched with smoky andouille sausage and bacon fat. Slow-simmered for nearly four hours, it develops the kind of complex, layered flavor that tastes like generations of Louisiana cooking in every spoonful. Make this when you want to fill your kitchen with aromas and your table with pure comfort.

Ingredients

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

Serve hot over cooked rice.