Andouille Sausage Gumbo (CS)

By hmp13

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons butter
• 10 tablespoons flour
• 1 medium Spanish onion, diced
• 1 large red bell pepper, diced
• 1 large green bell pepper, diced
• 3 stalks celery, diced
• 4 medium to large cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 4 cups Andouille sausage slices, 1/4 inch thick
• Shrimp stock
• 12 okra (2 cups) sliced into 1/2 inch slices (frozen okra is acceptable if fresh is not available)
• 1 large tomato, cut into 1/4 inch chunks
• 1 1/2 cups scallions, cut into 1/4 inch pieces
• 1 cup cooked white rice

Preparation

Step 1

Melt butter in a small cast iron or heavy bottomed sauté pan. Add the flour and stir with a wooden spoon to make a smooth paste. Cook over medium low heat for 15 to 20 minutes. Stir. Turn up the heat to medium high and cook for another 10 minutes while stirring. The roux should get foamy and start to smell nutty and turn light brown. Continue stirring until the roux turns chocolate brown, another 10 minutes. It is important to see the stages in a roux from blond, to light brown, to dark brown, to chocolate brown. This will determine the color, flavor, and complexity of the gumbo. If it goes too fast, too soon, it will burn before it reaches the chocolate brown stage.

Transfer the hot roux to an 8 by 10 quart stockpot. Add onion, peppers, celery and garlic and cook over medium heat until the veggies start to soften and cook with the roux, approximately 10 minutes. Add the thyme, bay leaves, cayenne, salt and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes, add the sausage, and cook for another 5 minutes. Add the shrimp stock and stir well. Cook until boiling, then simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, until the gumbo starts to thicken. Add the okra, continue cooking for another 10 minutes, and adjust the seasonings. Add the chopped tomato, scallions, and cooked rice. Stir well and remove the bay leaves before serving.