After spending 2009-10 in New Orleans and watching the Saints win the Super Bowl on Bourbon Street a week before Mardi Gras, the holiday will always have a special place in my heart. This amazing gumbo recipe comes from my friend C Nikole, aka one of the cuse bitches. C Nikole is originally from Houston so you know it’s legit. Every year when I want to make it I have to look up the email she sent me in 2012. This is the one time I don’t actually mind sifting through emails to find a recipe because there’s a whole chain of sass from the rest of the bitches that follows.
This recipe is incredible, make sure you’re ready for the commitment, it is a labor of love: don’t get distracted while making the roux or it will burn, and make sure you start early enough so it can simmer for a couple hrs. When the carnivore makes gumbo sometimes it takes him 3 days, this one takes 3-4 hours, depending on how many Abita beers, hurricanes, or French 75’s you consume while preparing.
The only thing mine here is the photo from when I made it this past weekend, everything else is 100% C Nikole, commentary and all.
Roux
- 1/2 cup – Equal parts oil/butter/fat (let’s be honest, it SHOULD be pork drippings, but if you don’t have that, butter or Vegetable oil works) and flour
Make the roux in a large skillet, not the pot you plan to make the gumbo in. Melt butter over medium heat, gradually adding the flour until it’s all combined. Stirring until you have a brown gravy substance. Depending on your pot, it can take 30 minutes. Really they key here is to not burn it. If you’re feeling adventurous, you can add some paprika, or cayenne to the roux, I usually do!
Saute
Add your vegetables and pork (if using) to the Roux.
- 1-2 chopped celery stalk
- 1/2 large onion, chopped
- 1/2 large green bell pepper, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 lb andouille sausages, sliced
Saute for 10-15 minutes
Simmer
Add the rest of your ingredients to the GUMBO POT
- 6 cups of water (give or take, I’d start with 4 and add as much of the the last 2 at the end, as needed)
- 6 bouillon cubes
- Bring water to a boil and add the bouillon cubes (we actually use chicken, or seafood bouillon but I think it’s traditionally made with beef). Add your roux business.
Then add the follow to taste:
- Dash of white sugar
- Salt & Pepper
- Hot Sauce
- Cajun Seasoning
- 4 bay leaves
- Dried thyme leaves
- 1 can stewed tomatoes (sometimes I mix it up and go with the Italian seasoned tomatoes…), 14.5 oz
- 1 can tomato sauce, 6 oz
Add the remaining water, if needed
Simmer for 45 minutes, then add:
- Dash of gumbo file powder
Simmer for 45 more minutes
Get that OKRA!
- 2 tablespoons bacon drippings
- 2 (10 ounce) packages frozen cut okra, thawed – This can be hard to find, we usually get the mixed bag, OR go to the farmers market a get fresh okra…(Walmart is the one place in CO that always has okra)
Sautee okra in fat/butter/oil for 10 minutes, add okra to the goodness
Finally
Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer.
- 1/2 pound lump crabmeat
- 1.5 pounds uncooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined (basically you need 3 lbs of meet, so this is flexible)
- 2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
Simmer 45 more minutes
Top with Gumbo File before serving over rice!
GET IT! Laissez les bons temps rouler!
NicStan Cooks 