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.
INGREDIENTS
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!
