New Orleans Creole Gumbo

Gumbo is the long-simmer pot of the American south.

Why you should cook this

Gumbo is the long-simmer pot of the American south. The roux is the soul, a slow-cooked mix of flour and oil that goes from blonde to peanut butter to chocolate over forty patient minutes. Get the roux right and the rest is technique.

This is a creole gumbo (with tomato), with the holy trinity of onion-celery-capsicum, andouille sausage, chicken, and prawns. Served over white rice.

What to drink with it

A cold Abita Amber if you can find it, or any decent amber lager. Or a Sazerac. Or a New York Sour, our honey variant here. Crusty bread for soaking up the bowl.

Notes from the kitchen

The roux is everything. Forty minutes, low heat, constant stirring. If it burns even a little, throw it out and start over. Burnt roux ruins gumbo. Add the prawns at the end. They take 3 minutes. Adding them earlier will overcook them. Better the next day. Make it Saturday for Sunday.

The recipe

New Orleans Creole Gumbo

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Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Total Time 2 hours hrs

Servings: 8 serves

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

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• 150 mL vegetable oil
• 150 g plain flour
• 2 large brown onions, diced
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 1 green capsicum, diced
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 300 g andouille sausage, sliced
• 500 g chicken thigh, cubed
• 1 x 400g tin diced tomatoes
• 2 L chicken stock
• 2 tbsp creole seasoning (paprika, oregano, thyme, cayenne)
• 2 bay leaves
• 500 g raw prawns, peeled
• 3 spring onions, sliced
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• Steamed long-grain white rice, to serve
• Tabasco or Crystal hot sauce, to serve

Method

 

Make the roux

1. Heat oil in a heavy-based pot over medium-low. Whisk in flour. Cook 35-45 minutes, stirring constantly, until the roux is deep mahogany — the colour of milk chocolate. If it burns at any point, start over.

Build the gumbo

1. Add onion, celery and capsicum to the roux. Stir for 5 minutes until softened.
2. Add garlic, andouille sausage and chicken. Cook 10 minutes.
3. Add tomatoes, chicken stock, creole seasoning and bay leaves. Stir well to incorporate the roux.
4. Bring to a simmer. Cover with the lid askew. Cook 45 minutes, stirring every 15.
5. Taste. Adjust salt, pepper and cayenne.
6. Add prawns. Simmer 3-4 minutes until just pink and curled.
7. Stir in spring onions and half the parsley. Off heat.
8. Serve over rice. Top with remaining parsley and a few drops of Tabasco.

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