Louisiana Shrimp Gumbo
This classic soup is more than a meal in a bowl. It’s a way to show off the bright spicy flavours of Louisiana and the distinctive cooking style that has made gumbo one of the world’s great dishes.
Ingredients
1 cup any vegetable oil
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 onion, peeled and chopped
1 green pepper, seeds removed and chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
4 cloves garlic, peeled
2 cups chicken broth
6 ounces andouille, chorizo or Italian sausage, sliced
8 ounces shrimp, peeled and devined
1 28 ounce can whole tomatoes
4 ounces okra, fresh or frozen
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon sassafras (gumbo file powder)
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
a sprinkle or two sea salt
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 onion, peeled and chopped
1 green pepper, seeds removed and chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
4 cloves garlic, peeled
2 cups chicken broth
6 ounces andouille, chorizo or Italian sausage, sliced
8 ounces shrimp, peeled and devined
1 28 ounce can whole tomatoes
4 ounces okra, fresh or frozen
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon sassafras (gumbo file powder)
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
a sprinkle or two sea salt
2 green onions, thinly sliced
Instructions
Preheat a large, heavy-bottomed stockpot over medium heat.
Pour in the vegetable oil and, when it’s smoking hot, gradually and carefully whisk in the flour, forming a “roux.” Continue stirring the roux, whisking constantly until it begins to deepen in colour. Be careful, it’s very hot! This browning process weakens the roux’s ability to thicken the gumbo, but it also adds lots of authentic, distinctive flavour.
After 5 minutes or so, when the roux is a deep golden brown, add the Holy Trinity of Louisiana cooking: the onion, green pepper and celery. Add the garlic cloves and stir them for a few minutes until they’ve softened. Add the chicken broth and stir until it thickens. Add the sausage, shrimp, tomatoes, okra, herbs and spices. Taste and season with salt.
Simmer until the sausages and shrimp are cooked through, about 10 minutes. Add the green onions. Serve immediately.
Pour in the vegetable oil and, when it’s smoking hot, gradually and carefully whisk in the flour, forming a “roux.” Continue stirring the roux, whisking constantly until it begins to deepen in colour. Be careful, it’s very hot! This browning process weakens the roux’s ability to thicken the gumbo, but it also adds lots of authentic, distinctive flavour.
After 5 minutes or so, when the roux is a deep golden brown, add the Holy Trinity of Louisiana cooking: the onion, green pepper and celery. Add the garlic cloves and stir them for a few minutes until they’ve softened. Add the chicken broth and stir until it thickens. Add the sausage, shrimp, tomatoes, okra, herbs and spices. Taste and season with salt.
Simmer until the sausages and shrimp are cooked through, about 10 minutes. Add the green onions. Serve immediately.
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Recipe Submitted by
Chef Michael
I’m a FoodTV host, cookbook author and official food ambassador for Prince Edward Island, more importantly I’m a Dad and passionate home cook!
Variation
Louisiana cooking is heavily flavoured and often quite spicy, so add more of the spices if you like. Try stirring in any seafood during the last few minutes of cooking. You may also omit the shrimp and substitute a chicken cut into pieces and browned.
Michael since I cannot tolerate licorice flavour I made this using lime and it was wonderful…totally different but I like the bright taste
sassafras ha been used to make root beer…similar in flavour to sarsaparilla, anise, nannari, smilax, licorice so any of those would be ok
Sassafras isn’t just another seasoning. It prevents the okra from becoming stringy.It’s one of the original indigenous ingredients used by the French brides when the Gulf States were still part of the Louisiana Territory held by France. I would suggest trying to obtain it on Amazon.
Where can I find sassafras (gumbo file powder)
here in Newfoundland. We have Sobey’s, Dominion and the Bulk Barn but if I can’t source it, what can I subsitute it for?
Please Help, I’m making this for my family for the holidays.
Thanks,
Marcia
I couldn’t find Sassafras in my town either so I substituted Cajun seasoning for all the spices and it turned out great.
On October 18th I was watching your show and loved the recipe on Monkey Bread and the Peanutbutter Chocolate squares. I have the Monkey Bread recipe but missed some of the ingredients to the square recipe. Would it be possible to have you send it to me?
Thanks
I saw a recipe you did on T.V. for lemon doughnuts and cannot find the recipe and would love to try them.
Thanks Betty-Lou
Dear Chef,
That recipe was a home run! I added a little chipoltle hot sauce and it was fantastic. Big fan of the show and love your cook book. Halved the recipe for the two of us and made rice. Put it in a pasta bowls with 1/4 cup of rice in center and topped with green onion. It was a hit!
Enough left for lunch tomorrow, yum!
Thanks,
Marilyn
I’m from Indonesia. I don’t know what sassafras is. Can I change sassafras to another?