It’s that time of the year to make a delicious bowl of Louisiana Gumbo. Is this version made in the Cajun or Creole Style? Here’s where you can customize this dish to your own tastes. It’s my understanding that a Creole version would include tomatoes; the Cajun style does not. The tomatoes are optional, so do what makes you happy! As always, many Southern dishes include the holy trinity. This dish is no different. We will add bell pepper, celery, and onions.

What is Gumbo?

Is gumbo a soup, or is it a stew? The answer is yes! You might think it is a stew because of the various proteins in the dish. Depending on how much broth you use and based on how thick you like your dish you might consider this dish a soup. I prefer to make it like a soup. Perfect dish for a cold night!

When making gumbo you can show your creativity when deciding which proteins to use. Add your favorite protein whether it’s chicken, andouille sausage, or shrimp. I am using a rotisserie chicken for this recipe to save a little time. At a minimum, you should try to find Andouille Sausage to add some authenticity to the dish. It shouldn’t be too hard to find at your local grocery store. If you can’t find it, try using a Hot Link. That should get you close.

**A version of Andouille Sausage at my local grocery store**

What is a Roux

What really makes this dish special is the dark roux that helps to thicken the dish. Remember that the darker a roux gets the less it thickens. So keep that in mind as you make your gumbo. A roux is a combination of equal amounts of fat and flour.

My Roux as it transforms from a light blond to dark!

A dark roux also brings complexity to the dish that is both nutty and savory. In our recipe, we are using one cup of oil and one cup of flour. Be aware that it does take a while to make a roux. You will be doing a lot of stirring. A dark roux can easily take 30 to 45 minutes. Keep your eye on it while it cooks because we do want a dark roux but not a burnt one!

Some Other Cajun and Creole Dishes

Some of my other Cajun and Creole Favorites would be Jambalaya and Red Beans and Rice. Jambalaya is more like a Spanish Paella. The dish of Red Beans and Rice was always known as Monday’s main meal. The thinking was that Sunday’s night dinner would typically include a ham from which the ham bone could be used on Monday’s dinner. Monday was laundry day so a pot of red beans with the ham bone from the previous night could sit over low heat on the stove for hours and not require too much attention.

Check Here for more info on some of my Cajun and Creole Dishes

Hope you enjoy the recipes and let me know what is your favorite Cajun or Creole Dish! As always, thanks for Spending Time in My Kitchen!

Delicious Bowl of Louisiana Gumbo!

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Recipe by David Frank – Spending Time In My Kitchen

Servings

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

hours

Ingredients

2 Stalk 2 Celery, small dice
2 2 Onion, small dice
2 2 Red bell pepper, small dice
32 oz 32 Chicken broth
2 2 Bay leaves
1 Cup 1 Green onion, chopped
3 Cloves 3 Garlic, minced
2 Tbl 2 Cajun seasoning
1 1 Rotisserie chicken, chopped
1 lb 1 Shrimp, shelled and deveined
1 1/2 lbs 1 1/2 Andouille sausage
5 5 Plum tomatoes, diced
1/2 tsp 1/2 White pepper
Salt and pepper
Make the Roux
1 Cup 1 AP flour
1 Cup 1 oil (or any other fat of your choice)
Garnish
1 Cup 1 Parsley, chopped
Hot Louisiana Hot sauce
Serve with basmati rice

Directions

Make the Roux
Add your flour and fat to a pan. Turn the heat to low on the stove and continue to stir frequently til you achieve a dark-colored roux. It should take 30 to 45 minutes to cook.
When done, add the roux to a large dutch oven.
Let’s Make the Gumbo
Pull rotisserie chicken off the bones. Shred into large pieces and set aside
Saute shrimp in Cajun seasoning over medium heat. Cook until just beginning to turn pink. Set aside. About 10 minutes
Slice andouille into small coins and saute until you get a little bit of crust and color. Set aside. About 10 minutes
Small dice your celery, onions, and bell pepper.
Add veggies to the same pan as you cooked the sausage. Cook over medium heat until translucent. About 10 minutes. Add veggies to the roux in the dutch oven.
Add the remaining ingredients to the dutch oven. Place the Dutch oven on the stove over a low simmer. Cook for about 2 hours. Taste after an hour and check for spice. Adjust cayenne and/or Cajun seasoning to your preference.
Plating and Garnish
Add some rice to your dish (See note below)
Top off your dish with some chopped parsley.
Enjoy!!

Notes

I prefer to use basmati rice for my Canjun and Creole dishes. My water to rice ratio is 1 1/2 cups of water to 1 cup of rice. Make sure you rinse the rice well to remove all the starch attached to the rice. Get the water in your pot to boil. Reduce to a low simmer. Place a top on your pot and let sit for 15 minutes. Turn the heat off and let sit for another 10 minutes.