Shrimp Gumbo

All recipes posted here are a composite of random recipes found online, in various cookbooks, taken from family, friends, neighbors and dishes/creations I have tried and/or made myself. Any similarity to people's personal or unique family recipes is purely coincidental, and no one actually owns the rights to any food combinations if you think about it. No matter how unique. Food for thought?!





Ingredients:


1 cup butter (2 sticks), plus 1 tablespoon
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 chopped yellow onion
1/4 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper ( can also add Red & Yellow)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup sliced fresh okra
3 cups shrimp stock
2 cups bottled clam juice
1 cup chopped canned tomatoes with juice
3 bay leaves
1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes
1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1 teaspoon dried basil leaves
1/2 teaspoon finely ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups cooked smoked sausage, sliced diagonally
2 pounds shrimp, cleaned and deveined
1/2 pound of white or dirty Rice for the Gumbo to go over


DIRECTIONS
Gumbo can made several different ways and there can be lots of additional ingredients or substitutions made. So feel free to add or subtract the things you like or don't like as the case maybe. There are a lot of things in my family's traditional Gumbo that I despise, so I have made adjustments accordingly. To begin in a very large heavy saucepan, over low heat, melt 1 cup of the butter. Add the flour, and cook on low heat until the roux is dark brown; about 30 to 45 minutes, stirring constantly (Brown does not mean burnt; if you burn the roux you have to throw it out and start over again, so don't do it!). Add the onions, celery, peppers and garlic and saute until translucent. You can actually add other onions, leeks and additional Yellow & red Bell Peppers if you like. This recipe allows you to add lots of things and each family recipe has their own twist to what you add to the Gumbo.


Mix in the okra and the remaining ingredients, including the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter. You can even add whole or halved cray fish if you wish, as that is how my family makes Gumbo. Once all the final ingredients have been added, simmer over medium-low heat until thick, about 1 hour or more depending on the size of the pot/sauce pan. Feel free to taste frequently and season as desired. Before serving, remove the bay leaves from the pot and discard. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve over white or dirty rice. This is really a must as it is the traditional condiment with all New Orleans/Cajun style Gumbo.



Servings: 8 servings
Prep Time: 20 min
Cook Time: 1 hour 30 min
Difficulty: Easy