TWR’s Perfect Gumbo

TWR’s Perfect Gumbo

This is my favorite recipe and the one I am most proud of making and I make it better every time.
Use your deep skillet or large cast iron dutch oven, it’s gonna get pretty full.
You can cook the shrimp and cut up Sausage in a skillet or you can grill them both and cut them afterwards. That way is easier, but make sure they don’t burn. Burnt ends can make a recipe bitter.
It’s very easy to make it larger, just double everything. But make sure to use a much larger pot.
The roux can be obnoxious to make but don’t skip it or get impatient (like I always do). It helps to thicken the Gumbo so it ain’t a soup but it also adds a great flavor. The Okra helps with that too.
This recipe is also very adaptable. You can take out the Okra if you’d like, or add some Crawfish, insert a little bit more Peppers, different Spices, Crab Meat, Green Chiles, etc. It’s almost impossible to go wrong. This recipe is even adapted from “The Best Gumbo Ever” recipe from some magazine I read years and years ago. But I’ve evolved this dish and it’s damn near perfection. I’d make my Cajun ancestors very proud.

• 1 Lb Raw Shrimp tails and shells removed

• Cajun Seasoning

• Olive Oil

• Butter

• 1/2 Lb (8oz) Okra sliced (fresh or frozen)

• Salt

• One Entire Package Andouille Sausage thinly sliced (after grilling if you go that route)

• 1 Tbsp Flour

• 1/2 Yellow Onion finely chopped

• 3 Stalks Celery very finely chopped

• 1/2 Green Bell Pepper finely chopped

• 1 Jalapeño diced & seeded

• 2 Garlic Cloves minced

• 2 Stalks Green Onions chopped and

• 1 Stalk Green Onion chopped

• 1/2 Can (3 oz) Tomato Paste

• 2 Small Bay Leaves

• 5 Stalks Fresh Thyme Leaves

• 1/2 Tsp Frank’s or more depending on spice level

• 1/8 Tsp Red Pepper Flakes

• Black Pepper

• 1/2 Tbs Worcestershire

• 1/4 Tbs Liquid Smoke

• Spices

• 1/2 Can (7 oz) Whole Tomatoes drained and coarsely chopped, reserve the liquid

• ~1 Cup Seafood or Lobster Stock (Better than Bouillon)

• Cooked White Rice

1. Remove those Shrimp shells and keep ‘em for making stock. Place the Shrimp in a bag or bowl with Olive Oil and lots of Cajun Seasoning, and put ‘em in the fridge to marinate for a bit. 

2. Now get your mise en place ready by cutting and slicing and dicing and setting every little thing out while the Shrimp very briefly marinates. Once you’re all set up, throw the Shrimp into the smaller skillet with some Olive Oil and Butter and cook them until they’re done, which will be very quickly. Afterwards, take ‘em off the skillet, cover them, and throw them in the fridge until later. 

3. Still in the same skillet heat some more Oil and Butter on medium high and sauté the Sausage until they’re done. Set those aside as well. Or, again, you can grill the whole sausage and then cut it up after it’s cooled. 

4. Now in the bigger Dutch Oven style Skillet heat even more Butter and Olive Oil and add the Flour while reducing the heat to low. This is called making a roux and you’ll need to stir it constantly for 10 minutes or so. At least until it’s a dark brown color and it has a toasty smell. 

5. Once the roux is done, add the Yellow Onions, Celery, Bell Peppers, and Jalapeño and sauté until they’re softened. 

6. Now throw in that Okra and stir it all around while it cooks for a bit more.

7. Next up, add the Garlic and half the Green Onions and cook for about 3 minutes. 

8. Now you’ll be stirring in the Tomato Paste and the next 8 ingredients (from the Bay Leaves to the Spices). 

9. Once all that’s in there and stirred and mixed, add the Whole Tomatoes and some of their liquid. 

10. Then gradually stir in the all important Shellfish Stock. The amount is up to the chef. Choose wisely. 

11. Now it’s time for the reserved ingredients. Throw that Sausage in and bring the whole delicious concoction to a boil. Once it’s roiling, cover it, reduce the heat to just over low, and let it simmer for 30 minutes.

12. While the Gumbo is simmering, make the Rice. Also cut the cooked Shrimp up into little bite sized pieces. 

13. Once the simmering has simmered down, stir in the Shrimp and remaining Green Onions and let it sit for just a few minutes more before being done. Finally pour some heaping amounts of Perfect Gumbo over the delicious rice and laissez les bons temps rouler!

In the pictures below I added Green Chiles and put them in with Tomato Paste. I also put it over a bed Rice Pilaf which is so much better than just plain white rice. I also cooked this on the flat top part of my grill cause it was a nice summer evening and my neighbors came and helped us eat it.