Gumbo – This Cooking Secrets for Men version of New Orleans Gumbo is made with the Trinity (Green Pepper, Onion, Celery), chicken, sausage, and shrimp, and served with rice. This is a New Orleans Mardi Gras tradition.
Gumbo is probably the most famous dish in Louisiana cooking. And you can make the argument that it is the most popular. Gumbo crosses all class barriers. You see it on the tables of the poor as well as the wealthy. The ingredients might vary from one cook to the next, and from one part of the state to another, but a hot bowl of gumbo is one of life’s culinary pleasures. It is as much a part of Louisiana as chili is of Texas.
Jambalaya vs Gumbo
Jambalaya is mostly a rice dish (like paella) while gumbo is more of a stew. Both are made with chicken, sausage, and/or seafood and vegetables. But the process of making them and flavors of the end result are completely different.
Last year’s Jambalaya video can be found here – https://youtu.be/XomeoU55srk. And on our blog at https://cookingsecretsformen.com/2020/02/22/easy-jambalaya-for-fat-tuesday/
If you want to make a Roux
We show how to make a Roux, but we take Cooking Secrets for Men shortcuts to get the same flavor.
A “roux” is made with two ingredients; flour and oil, and it’s the key to any great gumbo recipe! The flour and oil are cooked and stirred together for about 30-45 minutes until it becomes dark brown almost like mud, or chocolate and the consistency of dough. The roux is what adds the deep, rich flavor to the gumbo, and it gives it it’s thick texture.
But from the Cooking Secrets for Men standpoint, you have to stand and stir the roux and not leave it. You can’t really do anything else to prepare for the meal. That’s why we have our own way of making Gumbo, that is not so work and time intensive.
Equipment
- Large Dutch Oven or Pot
Ingredients
Ingredients for the roux (Optional)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup oil vegetable or canola oil
For the gumbo:
- 1 green bell pepper diced
- 1 large yellow onion diced
- 1 bunch celery diced
- 2 Chicken thighs, boneless cut into 1” pieces
- 2 tbsp Cajun seasoning for the chicken
- 12 oz andouille sausage sliced into 1/4" rounds
- 1 cup chopped okra (OPTIONAL or use Frozen Okra)
- 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 Box Zatarain’s gumbo mix
- 4-5 cups chicken broth or water
- 2 cups raw shrimp tails off, deveined and shells off
- 1 green onion finely chopped for garnish
Instructions
Gumbo – The Cooking Secrets for Men way
- Heat oil on medium-high heat in Dutch oven or large pot
- Add onion, bell pepper, and celery cook 3 minutes, until vegetables begin to soften.
- Brown chicken thighs with vegetables
- Season Chicken Thighs with Cajun Seasoning
- Add Andouille sausage and stir to combine
- Stir in Zatarain's Gumbo Mix and stock/or water
- Bring to boil.
- Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 25 minutes.
- During the last 5 minutes, stir in the raw shrimp and let the hot gumbo cook them
- Sprinkle with green onions before serving.
- Serve with cornbread
To Make a Roux (Not for this recipe)
- In a large pot, combine flour and oil
- You have to be careful to stir it constantly, on medium low heat, so that you don’t burn it.
- It’s easy, but takes patience.
- The darker the roux, the richer the flavor!
- And we are not using a roux for this recipe
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Cooking Secrets for Men
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Our e-Cookbook, Vol 1 “Sauces” is free and available to download. You can find it here. Vol 2 “Soups”, should be out soon.
If you liked our recipe for New Orleans Gumbo, try our Jambalaya recipe from last Mardi Gras
You can submit your own special recipe to us. We would love to publish it and give you the credit. Just go to this link “Submit your own recipes” or at the top of our home page. Click this link for an example of a Recipe Submission from a Subscriber
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Comments or questions, please contact us at cookingsecretsformen@gmail.com
Mardi Gras food – The Cooking Secrets for Men way
I’ve made jambalaya which is similar but different to gumbo. Looks like a great recipe!
Thanks Judith
Very festive!! Well Done! 🌟✨💫
That gumbo looks so hearty and amazing👏
Looks outstanding and easy to follow