The day after my first Mardi Gras, the streets were still wet from the midnight clean-up and most of the revelers were headed straight to the airport, heads heavy and hung-over. So I had the luxury of feeling like I had the city to myself. I wandered delightfully without reason and came across one of the few food stalls open. The simple sign read "Good Louisiana Gumbo".
I didn't hesitate and received a thin styrofoam bowl steaming with fresh rice and a thick, meaty stew overflowing with plump shrimp, spicy andouille sausage and chunks of tender chicken.
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After one bite, still standing in front of the stall, I must have made some sound of approval, because the kind, elderly lady behind the booth nodded at me and said, "yes, that's damn good Gumbo." Yes, ma'am, it certainly was.
There's a handful of different ways to make Gumbo, depending on whether you're making a Creole or Cajun dish. Because most of our visits to New Orleans centered around the city and not in the rural areas, we've been mostly exposed to the tomato-based Creole dishes.
So in our recipe, you'll want to start with the classic French base of celery and onion and add a good amount of crushed red tomatoes.
Add file powder, which is dried and ground sassafras leaves, and a collection of timeless spices and herbs.
Time is the major ingredient, however. Gumbo is not a dish to be rushed and not a dish to be left unattended. You gotta stir some love into it and a little bit of soul.
Next, your proteins need to be top notch as they're also going to add another layer of flavor. Be especially particular about your shrimp.
How to Buy Shrimp
- I have some more grim news for you. Don’t buy shrimp that’s already deveined and shelled, at least not for this dish. That process tends to strip the flavor a bit to create a bland shrimp. We want the shrimp to retain as much flavor from the shell to essence the broth.
- But do get them with the heads removed, because who wants to deal with that? And they make the shrimp spoil faster.
- Get your shrimp frozen. It’s a no-brainer. They’ll be fresher, and you can keep them frozen for several weeks if needed.
- Look at the color, too. Brown, black spots, yellow or anything off from the standard pink is a no go.
- Aim for medium-sized shrimp, about 20 to a pound.
- If you want to get specific about the species, we usually get a Gulf White or Gulf Pink. But most any will do.
I'm not a fan of okra, so Eddie undercooked ours a bit for a firmer texture. You can omit altogether, too.
Serve with a heaping portion of white rice and side of french bread or cornbread.
Other delectable Wanderspice Shrimp Dishes:
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📖 Recipe
Louisiana Gumbo
Ingredients
- 1 pound chicken breast
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1 teaspoons Kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons ground black pepper, or to taste
- 3 tablespoons canola oil
- 1/2 pound andouille sausage
- 1 cup yellow onion, finely diced
- 2 medium celery stalks, finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 medium okra, sliced
- 2 teaspoons hot sauce
- 14 oz. tomatoes, crushed
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons AP Flour
- 1 tablespoons gumbo file
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 2 whole bay leaves
- 1/2 pound white shrimp
- 2 cups long grain rice
- 1/4 cup scallions, finely sliced
Instructions
- Using a large bowl add diced chicken, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Set aside.
- Using a large skillet or saute pan over high heat, add canola oil and brown chicken on all sides, about 6 minutes.
- Add andouille sausage and cook for another 3 minutes.
- Add onions, celery, garlic, okra, crushed tomatoes and hot sauce cook for 4 minutes then reduce heat to low.
- Using a small pot add butter, AP flour, and gumbo file and saute on medium heat for 1 minute.
- After 1 minutes add chicken broth and bay leaves, bring to a boil. Stir every 2 minutes.
- After 7 minutes add the shrimp, cover, shut off heat and set aside.
- Allow your Gumbo to sit for 4 minutes before serving.
- Use the remaining chicken broth and water cook 2 cups long grain rice.
- Fluff up your rice using a fork. In a bowl add rice and top with Gumbo.
- Garnish with scallions.
Melanie says
These pictures and post have my mouth watering!! I used to be adversed to anything spicy (or spiced at all really, even if it wasn't hot). In the last year or so though my taste buds have been expanding and I tried gumbo for the first time and a New Orleans style restaurant. Will have to give this recipe a try, because it looks soooo good!
Katherine says
And that's why I love making these classic dishes at home, you can adjust the heat and spice level to your comfort.
Aly says
Wow!!! Can you believe I've never tried traditional gumbo? Your making me want this now!
Shannon says
This looks damn good indeed!! Gumbo is one of my favorites. Pinned for future reference, can't wait to try this, thanks!!
Ben Myhre says
Southern cooking has always been my weakest cooking style, but this looks so good. I am gonna give this a try.
Katherine says
It'll be worth it!
Dominique | Perchance to Cook says
This gumbo is just beautiful! I used to live in New Orleans and seeing your photos really make me miss gumbo and the food over there. YUM
Katherine says
Thank you!
Monica | Nourish & Fete says
I love your story about wandering into a food stall serving "damn good gumbo!" A friend of mine from Louisiana also makes damn good gumbo, and I've been wanting to bother her for the recipe - it sounds a lot like this one! A winner for sure!
Denise Wright says
I just came upon your website and just love the concept! When my husband retires we always wanted to do something similar ... he would write about the traveling and I would write about the food. That's aways off though. This looks fabulous! I just need some gumbo file and I'll going to make this on the weekend.
Katherine says
Appreciate you stopping by and thanks for the compliment. Just a thought - if you travel a few times a year you can start writing about those experiences now. The world is such a grand place so the more of us there are to tell beautiful stories the better.
Ashley @ Big Flavors from a Tiny Kitchen says
I went to New Orleans for the first time last year, and I was ALLLLL about the gumbo! I'd love to have those flavors at home - your recipe looks SO warm and inviting!
Katherine says
Thanks, Ashley!
Amelie says
This looks absolutely delicious! And I loved reading your tips for buying shrimp. Thanks
Christine says
Damn, that does look like good gumbo! I have always wanted to take a food tour of New Orleans, especially for gumbo. This looks like a great recipe to get those authentic flavors at home!
Marisa Franca @ All Our Way says
It does look delicious. We certainly love our spicy food - and gumbo is one of them. We've made several types of gumbo and we can't decide which ones we like the best. We get our shrimp flown in fresh from the Gulf -- oh it is sooooo good!! And like you, we prefer the medium size for gumbos. We do like the okra but sometimes we have a hard time finding the fresh. I bet your pot of gumbo doesn't last long.
Prasanna Hede says
Gumbo looks so creamy delicious! Loved reading your story ,bet your gumbo bowl would be over in no time!
Karyl | Karyl's Kulinary Krusade says
Oh yeah, this looks fabulous! The last time I had gumbo was 2 years ago in New Orleans, and I have to say yours looks better than one I had at a restaurant. I will definitely need to give this a try
Shadi Hasanzadenemati says
So here is a fun fact, I'm visiting NOLA now and I had a giant bowl of gumbo with tears of happiness. And this morning I see your recipe! I'm going to save it and make it the moment I'm back to Boston!
Shar says
This looked so good and I miss a great gumbo... this recipe confused me a little while making... can you check over the steps for the roux etc... I wasn’t sure if you wanted it cooked in a separate pan or what...
Eddie D'Costa says
Good day Shar, Thank you for catching this. Yes, please use a separate pot when making the Roux, the flour needs to brown slightly in order to add that extra depth of flavor. I went ahead an corrected it online. Thank you so much for replying us regarding this. If you have any other comments or concerns please don't hesitate to ask. Thanks again.