Shrimp Gumbo with Andouille Sausage

It’s Mardi Gras season, time for gumbo! If you question anybody from Louisiana or the Mississippi Sound about making gumbo, the first thing they will tell you is about making the roux.

My college roommate (from Metairie), my brother’s girlfriend (Biloxi), and my parent’s neighbor of 35 years (New Orleans), have pretty much all told me the same thing, “My mother used to take out an old penny and sit it next to the pot. ‘You’re done when the roux is the color of this penny.'”

Now, these women certainly did not have the same mother, but they shared the same story. I’m guessing making a proper roux must be a rite of passage for a kid from around those parts, and probably a bit challenging because it requires a little patience. 25 minutes or so of stirring can seem like forever to a 10 year old!

But it really is the roux that makes the difference. The slow cooking of of oil and flour together create a wonderful flavor as the flour browns.

Now, I’ve also read about gumbos made with a “blonde” roux, in which the roux is not browned nearly as much. So, I would love to get your opinion on this if you are familiar with the various approaches to making gumbo.

Enjoy!

Shrimp Gumbo with Andouille Sausage Recipe

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Yield: Serves 6-8

If you are not familiar with filé (fee-lay), it is a powder made from dried sassafras leaves. It is a powerful thickener, but must be added at the end of cooking or it will form slimy, ropey strands in the gumbo. Filé is available in many supermarkets (we found ours at Whole Foods), or online.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup peanut oil, or other vegetable oil
1/2 cup flour
1 green pepper, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
3 celery stalks, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp Cajun seasoning
1 quart shellfish* or chicken stock, plus 1 cup water
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
8-12 ounces smoked andouille sausage, cut into 1/4-inch thick rounds
2 pounds shrimp, peeled and deveined
Salt and pepper to taste
3-5 green onions, white and green parts, chopped
File powder (optional)
Hot sauce (such as Tabasco) to taste

* Note that you can make your own shellfish stock with the shells from the shrimp. Put the shrimp shells and tail tips in a pot and cover with 2 quarts of water. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and simmer uncovered for an hour. Strain and use in this recipe for the stock. Diluted bottle clam juice will also work as shellfish stock in this recipe.