Shrimp Gumbo with Andouille Sausage

By David Tanis

Shrimp Gumbo with Andouille Sausage
Fred R. Conrad/The New York Times
Total Time
About 1 hour
Rating
5(2,067)
Comments
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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. Finally, there is the filé powder camp. These cooks use copious amounts of the stuff, which is made from finely powdered sassafras leaves. Added at the last minute, it thickens the soup while imparting a flavor that’s earthy and herbal. I confess to using all three — a roux, okra and filé powder — in my own gumbo, which I hope is not sacrilegious. Not having grown up in gumbo territory, I based mine on a number of visits to New Orleans.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings
  • 1pound medium shrimp in the shell
  • Salt and pepper
  • 2teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
  • 6garlic cloves, minced
  • 4tablespoons olive oil
  • 1½cups diced onion
  • 1cup diced red or green bell pepper
  • ½cup diced celery
  • 4tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1teaspoon paprika
  • ¼teaspoon cayenne
  • 1cup diced ripe tomato, fresh or canned
  • 6ounces smoked andouille sausage, in 1-inch-thick slices
  • 6cups shrimp broth or chicken broth
  • 2cups chopped okra
  • 1tablespoon filé powder
  • ½cup chopped scallions for garnish
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

397 calories; 21 grams fat; 5 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 12 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 26 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams dietary fiber; 8 grams sugars; 28 grams protein; 1180 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Peel and devein shrimp. Reserve shrimp shells for broth. Season shrimp with salt and pepper, thyme and ½ teaspoon garlic. Cover and refrigerate. Make the shrimp broth.

  2. Step 2

    Make the gumbo base: In a heavy-bottomed soup pot, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onion, bell pepper and celery and cook briskly, stirring frequently, until lightly browned, about 8 minutes. Sprinkle in flour and stir to combine. Continue cooking for about 5 minutes, stirring, until flour-vegetable mixture is well browned. Add tomato paste, paprika, cayenne and remaining garlic. Cook for 1 minute, stirring well, then add diced tomato and andouille sausage and cook for about 2 minutes. Season mixture generously with salt and pepper.

  3. Step 3

    Stir in shrimp broth and reduce heat to medium. With a wooden spoon, scrape bottom of pot to dissolve any browned bits. Simmer for about 25 minutes, until gumbo base thickens somewhat. Taste and adjust salt. (You may prepare gumbo base up to this point several hours ahead; bring it back to a brisk simmer before continuing.)

  4. Step 4

    Add okra and let cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add shrimp and cook for 2 minutes more. Turn off heat. Stir in filé powder. Serve immediately, sprinkled with scallions, along with steamed rice or cornbread if desired.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
2,067 user ratings
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Comments

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.

Brian

Worked really well with Impossible “meat” added a couple minutes before the okra instead of fusing any real meat. Reduced the spice level by quite a bit so my 9 year old wouldn’t complain. Will be making this again.

Kyle

At first, I thought the hour cooking time was good, but it really does need a sous chef to chop, shell, & devein. It was 2.5 hour from start to sitting at the table. The shrimp broth recipe I used was Pierre Franey’s. Instead of cayenne & paprika, I used Penzeys Galena Street. It added more layers of spice. I’m a Yankee, so all I know is what I’ve eaten in NOLA. Liuzza’s gumbo is the best. “I will play for gumbo.”

Elizabeth H.

This is the best I've ever made! I love making the roux this way and added salt to taste - which it says at the beginning of the ingredients.

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