Gulf Shrimp Gumbo
Denise Landis is the founder & CEO of The Cook's Cook.
This recipe is featured in Wild About Shrimp
Inspired by Alton Brown
- Servings Serves 8 to 10
Ingredients
- .9 kg (2 pounds) medium (31/35) wild American brown shrimp
- 2 large ripe tomatoes, peeled, cored, and chopped
- 90 ml (⅓ cup) vegetable oil
- 37 grams (⅓ cup) all-purpose flour
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 stalks celery, diced
- ½ cup diced green bell pepper
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves picked from the stems
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 bay leaves
- .45 kg (1 pound) andouille sausage, cut into .6 cm (¼-inch) pieces and browned
- 1 tablespoon file powder
Preparation
1. Peel and devein the shrimp, placing the shells in a large saucepan. Cover the shrimp and refrigerate until needed. Add 2.3 liters (10 cups) of water to the shells, and bring to a simmer over medium heat; pressing the shells under the water with spoon. Allow the shells to simmer uncovered for 30 minutes, then strain into a heatproof bowl and discard the shells.
2. While the shells are simmering, bring a small pan of water to a boil. Add the tomatoes and simmer for 20-30 seconds. Drain, rinse under cold water, and rub off the skins. Core the tomatoes and dice coarsely; set aside.
3. In a large Dutch oven over medium-low heat, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the flour and stir constantly until the flour is golden brown but not burned, 5-8 minutes. Add the onion, celery, bell peppers, and garlic. Stir for another 2 minutes.
4. Add the tomatoes, salt, black pepper, thyme, cayenne pepper, and bay leaves. Gradually pour in the shrimp broth, whisking constantly. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, partially covered, until the mixture has reduced and thickened, about 30 minutes.
5. Add the sausage and shrimp. Stir in the file powder, and turn off the heat. Cover and allow to sit until the shrimp are firm and opaque, about 10 minutes. If desired, serve over white rice.
Denise Landis
Denise Landis had been employed as an archeologist for seven years before a food editor hired her to test some recipes from a cookbook manuscript. This short stint led to longer assignments, and two years later she began testing recipes for the New York Times. She has been a professional recipe tester and editor for over 25 years, is the author of a New York Times cookbook, and has written for numerous publications. She is a member of the New York Chapter of Les Dames d’ Escoffier.
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