When I got out of the navy in ‘82, jobs were scarce in Atlanta but I was fortunate enough to find one off Ashby Street in the West End. After about 6 months, I was given the opportunity to transfer to the big city of Houston, TX – a 25% pay raise and the company would pay all moving expenses. At 22 years old, I was like “Heck yeah, I’m all in!”

Talk about culinary culture shock – their BBQ was beef not pork, I swear they had more sausages than days in the week and what was this cumin stuff? And the Tex-Mex and Mexican choices were endless and delicious! But that’s a post for another day.

Well, the folks I was working with were old school French Cajuns from Baton Rouge and, to put it simply, they knew how to burn in the kitchen! I was introduced to boudin sausage, crawfish, gator tail, frog legs and probably 100 more bayou delicacies. The one meal that always stuck out in my mind above all the rest was the Gumbo and since then, I have eaten it with everything from mudbugs to gator tails in it. I can say without a doubt the worst I ever had was excellent. On a bed of rice, good gumbo is nothing short of heavenly

Before we get down to making this dish, let’s talk about the number one most important step to making a rich, delicious gumbo – the roux. Pronounced “roo”, it is basically a combination of equal parts (by weight) of flour and fat. Cooked together to form a paste, it thickens your dish without lumps and, properly prepared, adds a complex flavor and color. Now, some people will try just adding the flour to the pot but even if you avoid the lumps (almost impossible), you end up with a less flavorful outcome with a floury undertone.

Roux comes in three versions – white, which is used for sauces such as béchamel (think mac and cheese; blonde, great for gravies; and brown, which is what we use for this yummy gumbo. The finished roux is caramelized to a deep brown color with a nutty flavor and aroma. Now, that’s some good stuff there!

I use a cast iron skillet and a wooden spoon to make my roux, but do not use cast iron to cook this dish as it will darken your tomato-based dish to an unattractive color. If you don’t have a cast iron skillet (gasp!!), any heavy pan made from a non-reactive material will work. Note: an aluminum pan and a wire whisk will make your roux gray. Heat your fat (butter, oil, lard, olive oil – whatever your preference), add the flour, stirring to make a paste and cook over medium heat until a deep, rich brown and the consistency of wet cement, about 30-35 minutes. This isn’t something you can walk away from very far – burnt roux will ruin your gumbo.

Enjoy this recipe. Feel free to change up the meat and seafood options to your taste. [recipe title=”Spicy Chicken and Shrimp Gumbo” servings=”10-12″ time=”3 hours” difficulty=”medium”]

Ingredients

• ½ cup olive oil, divided
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 large sweet onion roughly chopped
• 1 bell pepper roughly chopped
• 1 stalk celery finely chopped
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breast cut into 1” pieces
• 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 cans (14oz size) chopped tomatoes with juice
• 1 can (14oz size) whole kernel corn
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 4 teaspoons Creole seasoning
• 1 or 2 (how hot do you want it) teaspoons cayenne or chipotle pepper
• 2 teaspoons table salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 lb large shrimp peeled and deveined
• 2 ½ cups okra sliced into ¼” pieces

Directions

Add 1/4 c. olive oil to a heavy, non-reactive skillet, over medium heat. Sprinkle flour over oil, stirring constantly to combine. Continue to heat and stir until roux is a rich, dark color, about 30 minutes. Set aside to cool.

In a large stock pot (not cast iron), heat 1/4 c. oil to medium and saute onion, bell pepper and celery until onion is opaque. Add chicken and cook until tender. Add garlic and cook 1 minute. Stir in roux to combine. Slowly add water while stirring and bring to a slight boil. Stir in remaining ingredients *EXCEPT OKRA AND SHRIMP* and simmer on medium while covered for at least 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add shrimp and okra, cover and allow to cook for 15 more minutes. Remove bay leaves and serve on a bed of your favorite rice.

Cooking Notes

• Do not cook this in a cast iron pot. It will change the color of your finished gumbo.
• I use Tony Chachere’s creole seasoning and am always pleased with the results. It can be purchased almost anywhere and it won’t break the bank.
• Okra cooks fast so I put it in last. I like when the seeds still pop in your mouth. Also, if overcooked, okra will make your gumbo very thick.