Southern Gumbo

It Ain't New Orleans Without 
BIG EASY GUMBO! http://ow.ly/oeUk5

Gumbo is one of the oldest tastes to come out of the south. In fact there are records of different forms of

gumbo being prepared and eaten in both Africa and France that pre-date the Louisiana purchase. Our best guess is that as the city of New Orleans grew it attracted many different cultures. That blend of cultures brought their own unique blend of spices, recipes and know how. The Big Easy became a veritable melting pot of culinary variety and as those culture co-mingled they shared their know how and as a result created a whole new wave of eating that is uniquely New Orleans.

Below is one of the many thousands of gumbo recipes you can try at home but keep in mind that the only consistent rule about preparing gumbo is rice and IMAGINATION! But until you develop the knack, I suggest you follow one of our gumbo recipes. BON APPETIT! Try the Black Bayou Gumbo recipe!

Big Easy Gumbo

Yield: Makes 8 to 10 servings

Recipe Time Total: 48 Minutes

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup peanut oil
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup chopped sweet onion
• 1 cup chopped green bell pepper
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 2 teaspoons Creole seasoning
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 3 (14-oz.) cans low-sodium chicken broth
• 4 cups shredded cooked chicken
• 1/2 pound andouille sausage, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
• 1 1/2 cups frozen black-eyed peas, thawed
• 1 pound peeled, large raw shrimp (1 6/20 count) $

Preparation

1. 1. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat; gradually whisk in flour, and cook, whisking constantly, 5 to 7 minutes or until flour is chocolate colored. (Do not burn mixture.)
2. 2. Reduce heat to medium. Stir in onion and next 4 ingredients, and cook, stirring constantly, 3 minutes. Gradually stir in chicken broth; add chicken and next 2 ingredients. Increase heat to medium-high, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, 20 minutes. Add shrimp, and cook 5 minutes or just until shrimp turn pink.
3. Note: We tested with Zatarain's Creole Seasoning and Savoie's Andouille Sausage.