Aunt Vicki’s Gumbo

My husband’s family is from New Orleans so they get all the credit for introducing me to the unique and flavorful cuisine of The Big Easy. From jambalaya to crawfish etouffee to seafood gumbo…many new dishes have been added to my list of “favorites” since my first visit to New Orleans almost 15 years ago.

Ingreadient

• 2/3 cup butter
• 2/3 cup whole-wheat flour
• 2 stalks celery (diced)
• 1 onion (small, diced)
• 1 green bell pepper (diced)
• 1 clove garlic (minced)
• 1 10-oz can stewed tomatoes (chopped with juice)
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup flat beer (optional (can sub more stock instead))
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon salt
• pepper (to taste)
• 1 pinch thyme (dried)
• ½ cup parsley (fresh, flat leaf, chopped)
• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• ¾ lb shrimp (raw, peeled)
• ½ lb lump crab meat (cooked, shredded)
• ½ pound sausage (browned and sliced or crumbled, andouille or other variety)
• brown rice (cooked)
• Filé powder
• hot sauce

Step by step

1. Add butter to large soup pot over medium heat. Once melted, sprinkle in flour and whisk together thoroughly. Keep whisking steadily over medium heat until mixture browns (about 10 – 15 minutes). This technique is called “making a roux.”
2. Dump diced veggies, onion, and garlic into pot. Stir and cook over medium heat until soft, about 10 minutes.
3. Add stewed tomatoes with juice, stir once, and cover. Stir 3 – 4 times over next 15 minutes.
4. Add chicken broth, 1 cup water, and 1 cup beer. Add all spices, stir once, and simmer uncovered for another 15 minutes.
5. Add cooked sausage and seafood and cook on medium heat until shrimp is done all the way through.
6. Serve over brown rice and sprinkle filé powder on top (optional). Provide hot sauce if desired. And don’t forget to freeze the leftovers!