Seafood, Sausage, and Chicken Gumbo

inAmerican Recipes, Chicken & Poultry Recipes, Dinner Recipes, Fish & Seafood Recipes, Holiday & Dinner Party Recipes, Recipes, Soup & Stew Recipes, Southern/Creole Recipes
  • YIELDS | 8-10 SERVINGS
  • PREP TIME | 15 MINS
  • COOK TIME | 40 MINS

This is a southern, classic Creole dish. It is piquant, satisfying, and full of sausage, shrimp, chicken, and vegetables. The dark roux binds it all together with a deep, rich flavor, and the okra adds an earthy, starchy texture. Be sure to use a big enough pot because this recipes make a large batch that won’t last long! Serve with hot, cooked rice and warm, fluffy cornbread.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 pound bacon, chopped
  • About 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 3/4 cup all purpose flour
  • 2 celery ribs, chopped
  • 1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
  • 1 large jalapeno, minced
  • 5 garlic cloves, minced
  • 8 cups fish or chicken stock, or a combination of both
  • 14-ounce can chopped tomatoes with juices
  • 1 pound frozen cut okra, do not thaw
  • 1 teaspoon chopped thyme
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 heaping teaspoon cayenne
  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt
  • 1 tablespoon black pepper
  • 1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped
  • 6-7 scallions, chopped
  • 1 pound andouille sausage, cut into 1/2-inch slices (if too large, cut slices in half)
  • 1 pound chicken thighs, cut into bite-size pieces
  • 1 pound raw shrimp, rinsed, deveined and tails removed
  • Big bowl of hot, cooked long grain rice

Instructions

  1. Cook bacon in a very large, heavy pot (preferably cast-iron), over medium heat, until browned but not crisp. Transfer bacon to a bowl with a slotted spoon and set aside.
  2. Turn the heat down to medium-low, add the oil and the flour and stir with a wooden spoon. Cook the roux, stirring constantly, until well browned to a shade of dark peanut butter, 15-20 minutes. Do not leave the pot because it will burn.
  3. Add the tomatoes, celery, bell pepper, onion, jalapeño, and garlic and cook for a 2-3 minutes.
  4. Add stock, okra, sausage, chicken, thyme, bay leaf, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are very tender, about 30 minutes.
  5. While the gumbo simmers, make the rice.
  6. To the gumbo, add the parsley, scallions, and shrimp, and cook, stirring, until shrimp is just cooked through, about 3-5 minutes.
  7. Stir in bacon and simmer until heated through. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Discard bay leaf.
  8. Serve with the hot, cooked rice.