Shrimp Gumbo with Andouille Sausage Recipe (2024)

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Cooking Notes

Jorge Nunez

There is one key issue with this recipe. There is no roux! Every person in Louisiana will tell you that what makes gumbo gumbo is the roux. For this recipe I would 1/2 cup of flour and 1/2 cup of butter or vegetable oil. You have to cook the roux for a while, about 40 minutes on very low heat until it has gone from pale to a dark chocolate color. Keep stirring the whole time (it is a labor of love) and make sure it does not burn.

Boyd

Don't add the shrimp right away. Peel & refrigerate them; wrap the shells in cheesecloth and tie it up into a bag. Simmer the gumbo with the bag in it for c. 1/2 hour; remove & toss it, and add the shrimp. Cook until just pink and cut off the heat. Let sit until the kettle is cool and refrigerate overnight. RIght before it's time to eat, heat the gumbo through and correct the seasonings. The shrimp will have infused it with their flavor, but they won't be tough or mushy

Elan

I had several problems with the recipe and there just wasn't as much flavor as I wanted/expected.

Making the roux with the vegetables just didn't work. I had a gloppy mess that couldn't possibly brown in the pot. I'll use a traditional approach next time.

1" slices for the sausage was WAY too thick--impossible to eat and too few slices in the pot. Other recipes call for 1/2" which seems more practical.

Sissy

It is ground sassafras root.It is NOT a necessary ingredient for gumbo. The biggest rule is that file' is ONLY used after you have your gumbo in your bowl. NEVER, EVER in the pot itself. Use it like any seasoning.....to taste.My family has lived in Louisiana since the late 1600s. You can find far better recipes than this for gumbo.

Burt

Made this last night with the shrimp broth. Added a bit of red pepper flakes to the broth for depth of flavor and some heat. Substituted more celery and pepper for the okra.

Excellent!

Had a bit of a problem with overcooking the shrimp. Reheating will overcook it even more. Will try separating enough servings for the meal at hand and adding the shrimp to that next time.

Jorge Nunez

(continued from the previous post), Once the roux is a deep chocolate brown, turn off the heat and add the vegetables (onion, celery, garlic and bell pepper) and cook until soft, not too long or else you will burn the roux, about 3-5 minutes. Gumbo is best made in a ducth oven because it preserves the heat. If you don't have one and have to keep the heat on, just make sure it is not too hot, a burnt roux is not a good one.

Neal

Added a roux of 4 tablespoons butter and 4 tablespoons of flour. Cooked it to a brown. I set the roux aside and sautéed the veggies. And then re-added the roux when the recipe said to add flour. Fantastic!’

Bette

Patience is required to make a roux. You can roast flour in the oven, or my preferred method, a cup of flour in a heavy pot on a medium to hot fire to toast the flour to a light beige. You have to watch it. It should smell nutty, not burned. On a low fire, add a couple of tablespoons of oil, or butter or bacon drippings, a little at a time, stirring to dissolve. Begin to add a little liquid (stock) to "cream" the roux. It should be brown, creamy looking, smooth. Add stock & vegs.

Carl Andrews

I was very disappointed with this recipe. I thought I would try as it seemed a bit faster than my usual process. You simply can't build the classic flavor without a proper roux. Even making the shrimp broth which was great and I will do that again, sadly the ending dish is very bland without much depth of flavor. MAKE A PROPER ROUX Y'ALL!!!!

Geoff G

Basically followed the recipe and it was delish. Regarding the controversies around okra and tomatoes, the gumbo at Commander's Palace has both. I can hear people saying "Well, what the heck does Ms. Ella Brennan know about creole food?" Then I hear them saying "Why is Ms. Ella's ghost haunting me and please make it stop." As a devotee of creole cuisine, but not an expert, my personal advice is if you like okra and tomatoes, use 'em. If you don't, don't.

Sally

Made the gumbo with the following changes.1.5 lb shrimp Whole bag of okraAdded a cup of crabmeat at end, like Mimi’s. Note - A 14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes is about a cup when drained. Added 2 links of Adele’s andouille.

Paul

Andouille is a fairly spicy smoked sausage, but any kind of smoked sausage you like will work. A smoked Polish kielbasa is good if you're not looking for something too spicy. On the hotter side, a Porytugese linguica sausage, or any smoked chorizo goes well. I would think any of those would be found fairly easily in London. Hope this helps you out.

R Wendell Harwell

No roux? Sacrilege! To begin with, one must stir (pretty constantly) butter and flour until it turns mahogany brown, This will take 15 to 20 minutes. Then, cook the trinity in the roux and continue with the recipe. The rest of the recipe is OK.

John Silvey

Since andouille is a pork based sausage, you should use a heavily smoked pork sausage. Andouille also contains a lot of garlic. Places here in Louisiana ship andouille, I suggest Jacob's andouille in La Place. It's a fully cured, shelf stable sausage that is something my grandmother and her mother always used. Try it out!

John Silvey

You can double the amount of okra and brown half of it in a separate skillet, then add it in and it will thicken that way. Some would say that gumbo isn't gumbo without okra ("gumbo" in West African is "okra"). File powder isn't necessary -- its usually one or the other but it's ok to add it if you would like. There are no hard or fast rules to gumbo, but you should definitely make a roux. Also gumbo really isn't a soup, more of a stew.

Robert

I knew this recipe wouldn't be authentic without a roux, but thought it was worth trying to save time. I also found that browning flour to the vegetables created a mes. Gradually adding about a cup of the broth salvaged the meal. I added the remaining broth after browning the meat. We added two boneless chicken thighs to the sausage.

Diane D.

I bought already peeled, deveined shrimp to save myself time. Instead of shrimp broth, I made a fish broth from store-bought mix. I have store-bought roux also and was faced with the challenge of including it. I mixed it in with the fish broth and left the flour out of Step 2. When it was time to add the broth, my broth had roux in it. After that, I followed the recipe closely. In the end, I was a bit underwhelmed by a lack of flavor other than too much cayenne for my taste.

me

Make roux at the beginning of the day with 4 TBL butter 4 TBL flour stir for at least 20 minutes to chocolate brown color. Set aside until vegetables are cooked.

Johnny Likeitmyway

I suppose there was no way to avoid the comments going every-which-way about roux, file, okra, etc. To my thinking, gumbo is a category, not a dish with a strict set of rules. Like pizza.I make gumbo to *our* liking. It's based on an oven baked roux, poblano instead of bell pepper, which we all dislike, and has andouille, chicken and shrimp generally.

kchatfield

Husband said "one of the best dinner I've ever had," and he is not generous with dinner complements. I forgot to add thyme and it was still delicious (but won't forget it next time). I removed a portion of the recipe before adding sausage and seafood broth and added vegetable broth and Trader Joe's vegetable protein to this for my vegetarian daughter, followed by the okra and sassafras file. And the veggie version wasn't too bad!

Mods

Smaller sausage piecesHalf smoked paprika

Hhaeg

No need for file. Made a roux the traditional way. Perfectly good for a week night recipe.

Len

This is pretty good, but takes significantly longer than 1 hour including prep time. I doubled the andouille and should have increased the shrimp. The shrimp was delicious. I used a combination of shrimp stock and chicken stock. Shells of 1 pound of shrimp are only about enough for two cups of stock. The veggies never browned in the roux. It was more like an overcooked French roux than a Creole roux, but it served its purpose.

Josy

Yes you need a roux for Gumbo. Used black eyed peas instead of the okra . Used Rex Gumbo file and New Orleans School of Cooking Joe’s Stuff Original for the spices. Yummy for sure.

Laura

The non-roux roux method actually worked for me, because I had to brown my veg in a cast iron skillet. They got nice and toasty, so as I simmered, the gumbo developed the classic brown color.I usually eat around okra in gumbo, so I left the okra out and added more tomatoes instead. Because okra is a thickener, added some cornstarch, but honestly didn’t need it.I had lots more andouille than the recipe called for, and that worked out, too. I’ll chop it up more next time around. Good Recipe

Misha

Flavors are good and there is, of course, roux in the recipe. My only issue is that I think the volume of broth makes it too soupy. Cut it to 4 cups.

Danielle

Great recipe! Made one change that helped address The Great Roux Controversy. Render the day off the andouille, remove those once they’re nice and brown. Add the flour, take the pot off the heat. Scrape and stir like your life depends on it until the roux turns a nice dark brown. You can use some of the shrimp broth to loosen things up id it’s sticking too much. Add the veggies and continue as directed! Delicious.

Steve S

I've cooked this several times, always with crawfish instead of shrimp, but using shrimp stock. I used a little (2tbsp) homemade lard and the rest oil. If you're prepared to stand in front of the stove, you can cook the roux at a little higher heat to shorten the time. I've also tossed the tomato paste in with the roux, as it roasts alongside for richer flavor. This is a really fine recipe, very user-friendly.

L K

Made the roux firstDelish!

Snoski62

I'm a Yankee, but my southern friends really liked this! I did a makeshift roux from previous comments and cooked the vegetables in the roux. Also let the gumbo base sit for about three hours before finishing...

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Shrimp Gumbo with Andouille Sausage Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Do you brown andouille before adding to gumbo? ›

Brown the andouille pieces on both sides until a deep crust is formed, about 5-7 minutes per side. Remove them from the pot and set aside. Add remaining 2 tablespoons of oil to the pot, along with onions, celery, peppers and garlic. Cook until the vegetables are softened and translucent, 5-7 minutes.

What are the 2 rules of gumbo? ›

Check out this list ,compiled by Jude Walker, to ensure you never make a faux pas, on the ten commandments of gumbo.
  • I - Thou Shalt Never Use Tomatoes If we've learned anything from the Disney folks, it's this. ...
  • II - Thou Shalt Not Use Un-Cajun Sausage Sausage in your gumbo can only come from authorized vendors.
Jan 22, 2018

Should you cook sausage before adding it to gumbo? ›

While simmering, saute sausage in a large skillet over medium-high heat until browned on all sides. Add sausage to gumbo. Taste gumbo and season lightly with salt. Simmer for 2 hours.

What is the secret to good gumbo? ›

Great gumbo starts with roux, a flavorful thickening agent made from equal parts fat and flour. Once the roux is a deep golden color, add diced veggies and sausage to the mix. Then, incorporate beef bouillon, hot sauce, tomatoes, and seasonings to intensify the flavor.

Should gumbo be thick or soupy? ›

It should be thicker than a soup.

Is it OK to add raw shrimp to gumbo? ›

I used pre-cooked/Cajun-seasoned shrimp which made this gumbo with okra that much easier, but you can just use raw shrimp. Adjust the spice to make it as hot or mild as you'd like. Leftovers freeze well. Serve with rice and/or crusty French bread!

How do you keep shrimp from getting tough in gumbo? ›

Shrimp only need a few minutes to cook on their own. They should be added to the gumbo pot immediately after you have turned off the heat so they don't get overcooked and tough.

What makes gumbo taste so good? ›

Most cooks agree that gumbos must have the vegetable trinity of chopped bell pepper, onion and celery, and that they should be highly seasoned. Some gumbos do contain sausage, shrimp and chicken, but there are humbler ones that are made with only salt pork, onions and greens.

Do tomatoes not go in gumbo? ›

Turns out, your preference for tomatoes in gumbo comes down to whether you learned your skills from a Cajun cook or a Creole cook. (Learn about the difference here.) Cajun gumbo does not include tomatoes in the base, but Creole gumbo (typically shellfish or seafood gumbo) does call for tomatoes.

What kind of rice is best for gumbo? ›

For purposes of this discussion, we will limit our focus to plain old polished white rice. Even then, it comes in different sizes — short, long and medium grain. I prefer medium grain rice in a gumbo, because the grains puff up, the perfect medium for a gumbo. The thick gumbo juice sticks to the grains just right.

Can I use water instead of chicken broth for gumbo? ›

A: By all means use chicken broth instead of water. You get a more complex and richer Gumbo. If no chicken broth use chicken upper bullion.

What's the best sausage for gumbo? ›

Smoked andouille sausage is best. If your sausage is raw, slice the links and brown them in a pan before adding them to the gumbo pot. Alternately, you can use smoked ham instead of smoked andouille sausage.

What is the sausage in gumbo called? ›

Andouille sausage is often added to both meat and seafood gumbos to provide "piquancy, substance, and an additional layer of flavor" to the dish. The key is to use a tender andouille so it does not become too chewy." Most varieties of gumbo are seasoned with onions, parsley, bell pepper, and celery.

How dark should my roux be for gumbo? ›

Dark brown roux: Dark brown roux looks like dark melted chocolate and has a rich, nutty flavor. Devillier uses dark roux more than any other shade, especially in gumbos and fricassees. Spicer often uses dark roux when making gumbo with duck, sausage, or rabbit.

How long does it take to brown andouille sausage? ›

Heat your skillet or frying pan over medium-high heat. Add a drizzle of olive oil or coat the pan with cooking spray to prevent sticking. Place the scored sausage links onto the heated pan, ensuring they have enough space to cook evenly. Allow the sausages to cook for around 5-6 minutes on each side.

Do you cut andouille sausage before cooking? ›

Because it's smoked, Andouille is precooked. In the rare instance you find unsmoked Andouille sausage, cook it in its casing and slice before serving. You can also remove it from its casing and cook it as you would ground beef.

Does andouille need to be cooked? ›

Andouille is a versatile cooking ingredient. Because it's pre-cooked, you could simply take it out of the fridge, slice it and serve it cold on its own or as part of a charcuterie board. You can also bake or boil it. If baking, preheat your oven to 350 F and place the links on a sheet pan.

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