SHRIMP GUMBO

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cups diced tomatoes with juice
• 4 cups water or broth (shrimp, crawfish, chicken, whatever)
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup chopped green pepper
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 2 cups cooked, boneless chicken (see below)
• 1/2-3/4 cooked shrimp
• 1/2-3/4 cup andouille sausage (see below)
• 1 1/2–2 cups okra (sliced, crosswise)
• 1/2 cup bacon fat (or oil) plus two tsp.
• 1/2 cup flour
• 2 tsp. Cajun seasoning (or more, to taste)
• Dash of tabasco (or more to taste)
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 2–4 cups of cooked white rice

• 2 cups diced tomatoes with juice
• 4 cups water or broth (shrimp, crawfish, chicken, whatever)
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup chopped green pepper
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 2 cups cooked, boneless chicken (see below)
• 1/2-3/4 cooked shrimp
• 1/2-3/4 cup andouille sausage (see below)
• 1 1/2–2 cups okra (sliced, crosswise)
• 1/2 cup bacon fat (or oil) plus two tsp.
• 1/2 cup flour
• 2 tsp. Cajun seasoning (or more, to taste)
• Dash of tabasco (or more to taste)
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 2–4 cups of cooked white rice

DIRECTIONS:

Using the flour and 1/2 cup of fat, start making a dark chocolate colored roux, a staple of much Cajun cooking. It can take up to 45 minutes to get the rue just right. A roux must be stirred and watched constantly so it doesn’t burn. This can be set aside when done.

In the meantime, use the excess two tbsp. of grease to brown the boneless chicken breasts which have been cut into large chunks and the sausage, and to sauté the celery, onion, and green pepper (called the Holy Trinity of Cajun cooking). Toss in the garlic as well. After the chicken and sausage have been drained of fat, cut the sausage diagonally into 1/2–3/4 inch slices.

Put this entire mixture into a large pot filled with the water and tomatoes. Add the okra, which has also been sliced diagonally. Season with salt, pepper, Cajun seasoning, and tabasco. Bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat and slowly stir in the roux, if it is ready. Now, simmer, covered, for at least two hours. Add the shrimp near the end (the last half hour). Otherwise, it can get rubbery.

Turn on some rowdy Cajun music, pour several glasses of sweet tea and serve the gumbo over white rice with some good bread. Serves six to eight people, and it’s even better warmed up the next day, if you have any left. (Enjoy!)

NOTE:

Like all cooking, the measurements are subject to individual tastes. Add more, or less, shrimp, chicken, and sausage, if you prefer. Same goes for okra, which is not a huge favorite of many people, but it is quite palatable in this Cajun “stew.”

Many recipes call for filé (sassafrass) to be added near the end as an additional thickener, but it can be tricky and go slimy if not handled properly. Also, it’s not readily available in some markets.

If the bacon fat strikes you as odd, it’s an old-fashioned practice to always save the excess fat when frying bacon. It can be used as a better substitute for oil or butter in many recipes.