Real Cajun Gumbo

Real Cajun Gumbo

by Marne
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This Real Cajun Gumbo is made with a dark brown roux, vegetables, chicken, sausage, and shrimp, and served over rice.

Temps are dropping and fall is in the air, time for some comfort food.

This recipe was passed along to me by a friend who used to live in New Orleans. It was my first foray into the world of gumbo and got me hooked on cajun cooking. Gumbo is the official cuisine for the state of Louisiana

Oh Roux

If you have ever made a roux before then you know what a time consuming process it can be but it truly is worth it. Roux is a combination of flour and fat that is cooked and used as a base to thicken and flavor sauces. The method for making roux uses 1 part oil or fat to 1 part flour, whisked constantly over heat until it reaches an optimal shade of color—ranging from white to dark brown.

The finished base can be used to thicken sauces, gravies, and soup. Dark brown roux is the heart of gumbo, its flavor soul.

The Colors of Roux

White – cook 2-5 minutes, great for white sauces like country gravy or béchamel.

Blond – cook 5-10 minutes, a slightly more flavorful thickener for cheese sauce, bisques and creamy soups.

Light Brown – cook 15-30 minutes, lends a nutty and toast flavor to thinner stews like étouffée.

Dark Brown – cook 35-60 minutes, great for adding a roasted and earthy flavor to gumbo and roast beef gravy.

Dark brown roux in an enameled cast iron pot

How to Make a Roux

Whether you are making just enough for a single dish, or a larger quantity, the proportions of ingredients are in equal amounts: 1 part oil or fat (butter) and 1 part all-purpose flour, by weight.

  • Melt the butter or oil over medium low heat.
  • Add the flour and stir constantly in a figure 8 pattern until you reach the desired color.
  • Watch the heat, trying to rush it with a high temp could end up with a burnt roux. There is no coming back from a burnt roux, just start over again.

How Long Does Roux Last?

Roux can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container, for up to several weeks.

How to Make Gumbo

Gumbo starts with the roux and builds from there. Due to the finicky nature of roux I suggest chopping up all the vegetables ahead of time. Once I attempted to make a roux while chopping vegetables and promptly burned the roux. This meant starting all over again.

Real Cajun Gumbo

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Servings: 0

Ingredients

  • 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon grape seed oil
  • 6 boneless skinless chicken thighs
  • Kosher salt to taste
  • 1 1/2 pounds Cajun-style andouille sausage slice into coins about 1/2 inch thick
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 large yellow onions cut into 1/4-inch dice
  • 2 green bell peppers cut into 1/4-inch dice
  • 4 large celery ribs cut into 1/4-inch dice
  • 8 medium cloves garlic minced
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • Freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 1 1/2 quarts 1.4L homemade brown or white chicken stock or store-bought low-sodium chicken stock
  • 2 dried bay leaves
  • 2 large sprigs fresh thyme
  • 1 pound fresh okra (caps trimmed, pods cut crosswise 1/2 inch thick) – a package of frozen precut works just fine as well (optional)
  • 1/2 teaspoon filé powder plus more as needed for serving (optional; see notes)
  • Warm rice thinly sliced scallions, and hot sauce, for serving

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