Chicken, Andouille Sausage and Shrimp Gumbo

We first started making Cajun style food at home, when one of our all time favorite restaurants, Berk’s in Ballard, closed years ago. We still miss Berk’s and always compare our food to what we would have ordered there. Dave’s love of Cajun food grew even stronger with frequent visits to The Cajun Queen in Charlotte, NC, during the six months he lived there for work.

I am certain I will get emails telling me that our version of Gumbo is not authentic – which I will acknowledge right now. Our recipes are suited to our tastes and have come together after reading Gumbo recipes from John Besh, Emeril, The Junior League of Lafayette, The Cajun Gourmet: Carlo Di Napoli, Paul Prudhomme, Justin Wilson and many others. This is about a 3 hour preparation, so plan accordingly.

Need some Cajun inspiration to get you started? Check out Dave singing Jambalaya with our friends The Hank Williams Review, at our wedding a “few” years ago!

Laura and Dave’s Gumbo

For the roux

3/4 cup of High Heat Oil – I like Spectrum High Heat Sunflower Oil

3/4 cup of flour

Heat the oil in a large, very heavy stock pot. Heat over medium high heat, to just about smoking. Add the flour, stir constantly to bring the roux to the color of peanut butter. If it starts to smoke, turn it down a little. You will know if you have burnt it and need to start over, as it will smell burnt! This process should take about 30 minutes, or as Emeril once told me – about the time it takes to drink two beers!

2 cups diced celery

2 cups diced onion

2 cups diced green pepper

Add half the diced vegetables to the finished roux, stirring well. Let cook about 10 minutes. Add the remaining vegetables and cook another ten minutes. (Adding them all at once puts too much water into the mixture and will stop the cooking.)

1 22 ounce bottle of dark beer

1 quart (32 ounce) seafood stock

1 16 ounce can diced tomatoes with juice

Add the beer and simmer about 5 minutes to reduce the alcohol. Stir in the stock and the diced tomatoes.

Next, add the seasonings. You will adjust the seasoning throughout the cooking process. Start with the lowest recommended amount first!

4-6 Tablespoons Cajun Seasoning (make sure it is salt free, so you can control the salt)

1 Tablespoon Marjoram

2 Bay Leaves

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Kosher salt

Fresh ground black pepper

Simmer the mixture over low heat about 40 minutes. While the mixture is simmering, grill the sausage and chicken thighs to add color and flavor. You are not cooking them all the way through. Let the sausage and chicken cool before adding back into the pot, to ensure they retain their juices.

8-10 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, seasoned with a little Cajun seasoning, salt and pepper

6-8 Andouille Sausage (we love the Pork Andouille sausage from Whole Foods)

Add the chicken thighs and the sausage to the gumbo and continue to simmer over very low heat about an hour. Adjust for seasoning….Does it need more Cajun spice, cayenne, salt, pepper? We do not cut the sausage up. We have found leaving them whole keeps them a lot juicer.

2 cups sliced okra (we use frozen)

At the end of one hour, add the frozen okra. Continue to cook another hour. Once again, adjust for seasoning….Does it need more Cajun spice, cayenne, salt, pepper?

Add the shrimp about 30 minutes prior to serving. Simmer very gently. Overcooking the shrimp will make them tough and rubbery. Adding the shrimp at the same time you start the rice, will ensure everything is ready to go at once.

1 pound 21/25 count raw, peeled/deveined tail-on shrimp

Diced green onions for garnish

Cooked white rice for serving

To plate, place a scoop of rice on a plate or bowl. Add a scoop of gumbo and garnish with sliced green onion. Serve with a crisp green salad and fresh, crusty bread.

Laura and Dave’s Gumbo – Ingredient List