Louisiana Shrimp Gumbo Recipe

Serves/Makes: 12 – 16

Ingredients:

• 3 pounds shrimp, shelled and deveined
• 2 cans (6 ounces each) crab meat, optional
• 2 1/2 cups olive or vegetable oil
• 3 1/2 cups sifted flour
• 6 cups chopped onions
• 3 cups chopped bell pepper
• 3 cups finely chopped celery
• 1/4 cup minced garlic
• 2 cups chopped green onions
• 1 1/2 cups finely chopped fresh parsley
• 1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
• 1 can (15 ounces) diced tomatoes with chiles
• 2 1/2 cups sliced and rinsed, fresh or frozen okra
• 2 cups Chablis
• 4 quarts fish stock or water
• 4 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• Gumbo File Powder*

How to cook Louisiana Shrimp Gumbo:

• In a large Dutch oven, make a very dark roux with flour and oil.
• Add the garlic, onions, bell pepper and celery, stirring constantly until the onions become transparent. Pour in the tomato sauce, diced tomato and green onion and cook until the roux is back to its original dark color.
• Add the remaining ingredients, with the exception of the File Powder and simmer slowly for 45 minutes. Drop in the shrimp (add crab meat, if desired), cover and continue to simmer for 2 or more hours. The Gumbo File Powder does not go in the pot!
• When ready to eat, sprinkle File Powder over cooked rice and cover with steaming, hot gumbo.

Notes:
The Louisiana Shrimp Gumbo recipe easy to prepare and so good! How many days in a year? Well, that’s about how many variations of Gumbo there are!

Comments:
Gumbo is a stew or soup originating in Louisiana which is popular across the Gulf Coast of the United States and into the U.S. South. It consists primarily of a strong stock, meat and/or shellfish, a thickener, and the vegetable “holy trinity” of celery, bell peppers, and onion. The soup is traditionally served over rice.
*File powder, also called Gumbo File, is a spice made from dried and ground sassafras leaves. It is used in the making of some types of gumbo, a Creole and Cajun soup/stew. It is sprinkled sparingly over gumbo as a seasoning and a thickening agent, giving it a distinctive flavor and texture. File can provide thickening when okra is not in season.

This recipe for Louisiana Shrimp Gumbo serves/makes: 12 – 16

Main Ingredient: Shrimp
Preparation Method: Soup/Stew
Cuisine: Cajun