GUMBO

While waiting for the snowmageddon (1-3″ lol) to arrive, I was wondering what to cook that would satisfy my craving for something spicy, comforting, and filling. I had shrimp in the freezer and really wanted to incorporate it into a meal. I scoured Pinterest and the internet and gumbo kept coming up. This is what I came up with and I’m so excited to share it with you.

1 lb andouille sausage

1 lb chicken breast, cut into bite sized pieces

1 lb shrimp

2/3 cup oil

1 cup flour, heaping

1 cup celery, diced

1 large yellow onion, diced

1 large yellow pepper, diced (any color is fine)

4 cloves garlic, minced

6 cups chicken stock

1 tablespoon tomato paste

2 tablespoons cajun seasoning

salt, pepper, cayenne pepper to taste

Begin by making a roux. Add the oil and flour to a large, heavy stock pot on medium-high heat. Stirring constantly, you are looking for a smooth, chocolate looking ingredient.

This is the way it looks in the beginning…

After approximately 30 minutes, your roux will look something like this…

In the meantime, in a large pan, brown the sausage. Remove and add the chicken cooking until it is about 2/3 cooked. Remove the chicken and add the celery, onions, pepper, and garlic to the pan. Saute until slightly tender. Remove these and add 1/2 cup chicken stock to deglaze the pan.

Add the vegetables, the pan juices, tomato paste, and the remaining chicken stock to the roux, mix well, and cook for 5-7 minutes.

Add the cajun seasoning* and let simmer for 2-3 minutes. Check the roux for seasonings and add seasonings until you achieve the taste you like.

Add the chicken and sausage and bring to a boil. Add the shrimp and cook for 2-3 minutes until the shrimp is just cooked.

Serve over rice with a large piece of garlic bread…oh my! It’s delicious!

* cajun seasonings vary in flavor. I like a “kick” to my gumbo, so I added cayenne pepper to achieve the flavor I was looking for.

I hope you enjoy this as much as we did!