Gumbo recipes vary from place to place, person to
person. Across the South, no two people make gumbo exactly the same.
Chefs have styles; families have traditions. A roux is one of the
traditional thickeners. Some folks use okra. Others prefer filé.
Some use any combination of the three. Some use a rich chicken stock
as a base, while others use oyster liquor. Whatever the variation,
we offer you these classic Creole gumbo recipes to get you started.
We hope that, in addition to enjoying gumbos from our friends on
the Trail, you will experiment in your own kitchen and develop a
greater appreciation for the culture, tradition, and variety of
gumbo.
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DOOKY’S CREOLE GUMBO
Leah Chase – Dooky Chase Restaurant - New Orleans, LA
From the book Creole Feast by Nathaniel Burton and Rudy Lombard
4 hard-shell crabs, cleaned*
1⁄2 pound Creole hot sausage, cut in bite-size pieces
1⁄2 pound smoked sausage, cut in pieces
1⁄2 pound beef, cubed
1⁄2 pound smoked ham, cubed
1⁄2 cup peanut oil
4 tablespoons flour
1 cup chopped onions
3 quarts water
6 chicken wings, cut in half
1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon filé powder
2 dozen oysters, with their liquid
1⁄4 cup (2 ounces) chopped parsley
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ground thyme
*Remove shells, entrails, and legs. Cut crabs in
half and use along with paws.
Put crabs, sausages, stew meat and ham in a 5-quart
pot over a medium flame. Cover and let cook in its own fat for 25
minutes. (It will produce enough, but stay with the pot.) Heat oil
in skillet and add flour to make a roux, browning until golden.
Add onions and cook over low heat until onions wilt. Pour the onion
mixture over the ingredients in the large pot. Add water, chicken
wings, shrimp, paprika, salt and filé powder. Bring to a
boil and cook for 30 minutes. Add the oysters, parsley, garlic and
thyme. Lower heat and cook for 10 minutes more before serving.
Serves 8 to 10.
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OKRA GUMBO
Nathaniel Burton – former executive chef at Broussard’s
- New Orleans, LA
From the book Creole Feast by Nathaniel Burton and Rudy Lombard
2 pounds medium-size fresh shrimp (with shells)
1 gallon chicken stock
1/3 cup butter
3 pounds okra, sliced
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 green pepper, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 1⁄2 cups canned tomatoes (1 #2 can)
Peel and clean shrimp. Put shells in the chicken stock and boil
at least 10 minutes. Strain and set aside. Melt the [butter] in
a soup pot. Add the okra, onion and green pepper and sauté
until liquid has evaporated. Add garlic and chopped parsley and
cook for about 2 minutes more, then add the strained chicken stock
and the tomatoes. Stir thoroughly and add the shrimp. Cook over
medium heat for about 30 minutes. Serve with rice.
Makes 10 servings.
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FILÉ GUMBO
Austin Leslie – Chez Helene – New Orleans, LA
From the book Creole Feast by Nathaniel Burton and Rudy Lombard
1⁄2 pound margarine
1 rib celery, chopped
4 springs parsley, finely chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
1⁄2 cup flour
1 gallon shellfish stock
1⁄2 pound smoked ham, diced
6 crabs, in shells
1⁄2 pound Creole hot sausage, cut in bite-size pieces
1⁄2 pound smoked sausage, cut in bite-size pieces
1⁄2 pound shrimp, cleaned and shelled (reserve shells for
stock)
Salt
Pepper
2 tablespoons filé powder
Place margarine at the bottom of a large soup or seafood pot, add
celery, parsley and onion. Sauté and then simmer for 15 to
20 minutes over low heat. Add flour and stir constantly for 15 more
minutes. Add stock and heat over medium flame for 20 minutes. Stir
in ham, crabs, and sausages and cook for 30 minutes. Bring to a
boil and keep stirring to avoid mixture sticking. When pot returns
to boil, add shrimp, salt, pepper and filé powder and allow
to return to the boiling point again. Remove from heat and check
seasoning, adding more if needed.
Serves 10 to 12.
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