Bless Her Heart

Gumbo is typically the first food that pops into your mind whenever you think about Cajun cuisine. 

Gumbo has almost always been popular along the Gulf Coast, especially in Louisiana 

But gumbo has also become quite popular throughout the entire United States in the last few decades. 

In fact, gumbo has been popular since the early 18^th century. 

Gumbo is a dish created by immigrants from the “Old World.” 

These immigrants were often unable to find the same ingredients that they had used at home. So they had to adapt their well-known recipes from back home to a New World and its new and different resources. 

Gumbo came about as the result of a true American melting pot of flavors. It was influenced by various cultures, such as African, Caribbean, French, German, Native American, and Spanish. 

Since the 19th century, Louisiana has become quite famous for serving gumbo at various social gatherings…including cooking competitions and festivals, local dance parties known as “fais do-do” and Mardi Gras.  

Gumbo is an economical dish that can easily feed a ton of people. Most gumbo recipes can easily be doubled or tripled. 

Making gumbo does not require that you spend way too much on meat or seafood. Most gumbos only use small portions of the various ingredients that the recipe calls for. 

In fact, making gumbo is a smart way to use up leftover perishable meats and seafood. 

The Ingredients 

Gumbo is one of those great “comfort food” recipes that calls for lots of fresh produce and real ingredients. 

Gumbo primarily consists of… 

Meat or Seafood: Options include chicken, crab meat, duck, oysters, rabbit, shrimp, squirrel, shrimp or any combination of meat or seafood. 

Andouille sausage is often used when making both meat and seafood gumbos. It gives the gumbo more substance and flavor. 

A Thickener of Some Sort: There are three primary thickeners that can be used for gumbo – okra, filé powder, and roux.  

Gumbo can be made with or without okra or filé powder. Filé powder is simply dried and ground sassafras leaves. 

Okra is typically used to thicken seafood gumbos, not gumbo focused on other types of meat. 

Filé powder is typically added after the gumbo has finished cooking. Many Cajuns add it at the table rather than in the pot. 

Roux is the most popular thickener 

Roux can be used alone or in conjunction with either of the other thickeners. 

Roux is made by cooking equal proportions of flour and fat together for a given length of cooking time.  

The final flavor and texture of the gumbo depends on how long the roux is cooked before being added to the gumbo. The longer the roux is cooked, the darker it becomes. The darker your roux, the thinner your finished gumbo sauce will be and the more intense your flavor will become. 

Vegetables: Gumbo is Cajun or Creole cuisine. Of course we’re gonna pay home to the “Holy Trinity” – celery, bell peppers and onions. 

Many gumbo recipes, especially gumbo made with seafood,  also call for tomatoes. 

Variations: Cajun gumbo is different from Creole gumbo. 

Cajun gumbo is typically found in southwestern Louisiana. It  typically features chicken or duck, along with sausage.  

Creole gumbo is more commonly found in New Orleans and southeastern Louisiana. It typically features seafood and tomatoes. The roux is typically dark, even chocolate-like. 

Creole gumbo is the “official state cuisine” of Louisiana. 

Making gumbo is like creating art.  

Just as there are as many interpretations of art as there are viewers…there are as many gumbo recipes as there are cooks. But here’s our family’s favorite recipe.  

• 1C flour 
• 2/3C vegetable oil
• 1 bunch celery, diced
• 1 bell pepper, diced
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 bunch freshly chopped parsley
• 3 cloves garlic
• 2Tbsp Cajun seasoning
• 8C chicken broth
• 12oz andouille sausage or kielbasa, sliced
• Meat from one rotisserie chicken
• 2C precooked shrimp

Instructions 

Make the Roux: Combine flour and oil in a large Dutch oven. 

Cook on medium-low heat, stirring constantly for 30-45 minutes, until the mixture is as dark as chocolate and has a soft consistency like cookie dough. Add more flour or oil as needed…but be careful not to let it burn. 

Brown the sausage: Brown the sausage in a separate skillet over medium-high heat for three minutes. Flip the sausage slices over. Brown this side three minutes also. Remove to a plate.  

Cook the vegetables: Add ½C chicken broth to the hot skillet that you just removed the sausages from. Pour this broth and any sausage drippings into your Dutch oven with the roux. 

Saute the vegetables. 

Finish making the gumbo: Add the remaining chicken broth, sauteed veggies, parsley, garlic and roux to the Dutch oven. Stir well.   

Bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil for 7min. 

Serve: Add any spices that you’re using and whatever meat you’re using, including any seafood such as shrimp. 

Taste the gumbo. Tweak the flavor with additional seasonings and/or broth until you get the flavor that you’re looking for. This is totally a matter of personal preference. 

Serve warm over rice.  

To store: “It’ll taste better tomorrow”: Gumbo, like so many other kitchen creations, always tastes even better the next day because the different flavors have more time to blend together. 

Refrigerate for up to four days.   

To freeze: Allow the gumbo cool completely. Store in a freezer-safe container for up to three months. When ready to serve, thaw in fridge overnight and then reheat on the stove or in the microwave.