Good Eats: Bowl O' Bayou - Shrimp and Sausage Gumbo

I don't even like Gumbo so I'm not sure why I tried this Alton Brown recipe so long ago.  Maybe for Steven or maybe because Alton makes everything look delicious.  As it turns out, I just don't like bad gumbo because I love this stuff!

It takes a while to make (about three and a half hours) and there is a lot to be done so make an afternoon of it. The roux is the most intimidating part but by baking it in the oven, it's pretty much no fail. Although I did spend like 10 minutes frantically googling "burnt roux v. brick roux". I couldn't see any red in mine but it was a solid dark brown and delicious. 

Shrimp and Sausage Gumbo

6 servings

3 hours and 30 minutes cooking time.

Adapted from Good Eats

Bake:

• 4 ounces vegetable oil, by volume
• 4 ounces all purpose flour, by weight

Cook:

• 1 1/2 pounds raw, medium, whole shrimp (head on and everything...at least shell on if you can only find beheaded shrimp)
• 2 quarts water

Add:

• 1 cup diced onion
• 1/2 cup diced celery
• 1/2 cup diced green peppers
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic

Add:

• 1/2 cup tomato, seeded and chopped
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 bay leaves

Add:

• 1/2 pound andouille sausage, sliced 
• 2 cups of okra, sliced OR 1 tablespoon file powder

The first step (after gathering all ingredients) is to make the roux.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Whisk the vegetable oil and all purpose flour in a dutch oven. Place uncovered on the middle shelf in the oven and bake for 1.5 hours, whisking two or three times while it bakes.

While the roux is baking make the shrimp broth. Dehead, peel, and devein the shrimp placing the heads, shells, and tails in a large pot. Refrigerate the shrimp.  Add two quarts of water to the pot and set over high heat until it reaches a boil.  Decrease the heat to low and simmer until the liquid has reduced to 1 quart.  Strain the liquid into a container and discard the solids.

While the shrimp broth is cookings and the roux is baking... chop all your vegetables if you were a bad cook and didn't do it before hand.

When the roux is done, move it to the stove over medium - high heat. Add the onions, celery, green peppers, and garlic. Stir continuously for 8 minutes.

Add the tomatoes, salt, pepper, thyme, cayenne pepper, and bay leaves then stir to combine.

Slowly add the shrimp broth while whisking.  Decrease the heat to low, cover, and cook for 35 minutes.

While the gumbo base is cooking... brown the sausage on medium heat in a separate frying pan.

Turn off the heat then add shrimp, sausage, and okra (or file powder).  Cover and allow to sit for 10 minutes so the shrimp can cook and the okra can thicken the gumbo.  Once shrimp is pink, serve over rice.