How to Make Awesome Gumbo

In my view nothing beats a steaming bowl of gumbo on cold damp winter day to stimulate the senses. Besides providing an intense rich flavor it is a delicious hearty comfort soup. For this reason I decided to share a few things I learned while making my Gumbo.

Making Gumbo is nothing to complicated but I believe there are two main keys to make really awesome gumbo. The first is to add saute smoked Kielbasa to the Gumbo. This will give it that smokey flavor and provide that nice kick which is extremely important. The second is to add Okra or to make a Roux to provide the proper thickness Gumbo requires. I never made a Roux instead I just add Okra to thicken the Gumbo. Just make sure not to add to much Okra or it will cause the Gumbo to be a little to slimy. I try to add no more than 7 Okras to give it the required Gumbo thickness. I also recommend catching your Shrimp live which if you live in Low Country of South Carolina shouldn't be a problem but if not then just buy at the store or if you are from Cajun Country, substitute with Crawdads. 

Listed below are the required ingredients to make an awesome Gumbo. 


Gumbo Ingredients

Saute kielbasa smoked sausage
Okra
Bay Leaves
Corn on the Cob
Onion
Garlic
Carrots
Rice
Saute Shrimp
Celery
Bell Peppers
Tony Chachere's Gumbo Mix
Swanson Chicken Broth Organic or Seafood Stock
Marie Sharps Hot Sauce Grapefruit pulp Habanero Pepper Sauce

Mixing in the ingredients 

I start by adding olive oil to the pot and heat on medium. Next I chop up the main ingredients that include the holy trinity of Cajun Cooking (Celery, Peppers and Onions) and add it to the pot to heat until tender. Then I will add some more seasoning and the Okra. Next saute the Shrimp and smoked Kielbasa on the side then add to the pot.

Pot of Gumbo

After all the ingredients have been added I will add in my Seafood or Chicken Stock with my Gumbo Mix and gently stir. Once it looks like it is done I give it a quick taste test to see if it needs more seasoning or if it is ready to go. 

Enjoying my Gumbo

The beauty of Gumbo is you can mix in whatever you want, usually the more ingredients you add the better the Gumbo. When I have the opportunity I like to add Blue Crab, Stone Crabs, Clams, Oysters and Lobster to give it even more flavor. Good cooks always find innovative ways to improve their recipes so don't be afraid to add new ingredients to your Gumbo. I hope this has been helpful and will lead to lots of awesome Gumbo in the future.