Shrimp and Sausage Gumbo

prep time:: 10 min
total time:: 60 min

Serves 4-5

I love spicy, Cajun dishes and this is one of my favorites. Perhaps it is because I was born in Louisiana, you think? Good bayou, good by me. Like most of my recipes this one is easy to make and tastes great.

ingredients

Cajun seasoning:

1/4 t ground white pepper
1/2 t cayenne pepper
1/2 t ground black pepper
1 t salt
1/4 t onion powder
1/4 t dried thyme

Gumbo:

1/2 C vegetable oil
1/2 C flour
1/2 - 3/4 of a yellow onion, diced (3/4 cup)
2 stalks of celery, sliced (3/4 cup)
1/2 green pepper, diced (3/4 cup)
3-4 cloves of garlic, chopped fine (1 T)
1/2 lb. hot sausage, preferably Andouille Sausage, sliced
6 C water
2 chicken bouillon cubes
1 14 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 C okra, sliced (fresh or frozen)
2 1/2 t Cajun seasoning
1/4 C parsley, chopped
1/2 lb. shrimp, peeled
3 C cooked rice

directions

1
As all great Cajun recipes start, “First you need to make a good roux.” Making a good roux just takes some patience and attention. I recommend that you always have all your ingredients ready at hand when making this recipe; that is, the vegetables diced, and other ingredients in bowls ready to add. Start your roux by getting a good, heavy duty pot hot over medium-high heat. Add the oil, let it get hot to almost smoking, and then add the flour stirring continuously with a wooden spoon until it turns the color of chocolate – a rich brown color. The important thing, you cannot stop stirring the oil and flour – you must stir continuously. And, you don’t want to get this hot mix on you, it will hurt.
2
Once the roux looks nice, and then add the Cajun “holy trinity” of vegetables – onion, celery and green pepper. Make sure to coat all the vegetables with the roux and stir until they are just starting to get soft. As soon as they start to get soft add the sausage and continue stirring until the edges of the sausage just start to brown. If you cannot get Andouille sausage then add Kielbasa along with 1 t of Tabasco sauce. Next, add the water, chicken bouillon cubes, can of diced tomatoes with liquid, okra, parsley, and Cajun seasoning. Simmer the mix, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes. During the last 5 minutes of cooking add the shrimp.
3
To serve, put some rice in a bowl and ladle the shrimp and sausage gumbo over the rice. Have some Louisiana pepper sauce ready if you want to “kick it up a notch or two.”