Cowboy Gumbo
Submitted by brenda48
Seafood gumbo built on a butter-flour roux with shrimp, okra, tomatoes, chili powder, and Worcestershire, served over rice with filé powder. Where Louisiana bayou meets Texas ranch country.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
15 minCOOK
60 minREADY
1 hrsCowboy Gumbo is what happens when Louisiana and Texas shake hands over a cast iron pot.
It starts the proper way: a roux of butter and flour stirred constantly over low heat until it turns a rich, nutty brown. Then the holy trinity of garlic, onion, and green bell pepper goes in.
Canned tomatoes, tomato paste, Worcestershire, chili powder, and a bay leaf build the broth, simmering covered for thirty minutes before okra and two pounds of shrimp (or crab, or crawfish) join the party.
Ladle it over hot rice and dust with filé powder for that silky, earthy finish.
Kitchen Tips
- Stir the roux constantly for the full 10 to 15 minutes. Walk away for even a minute and it scorches, and burnt roux means starting over from scratch.
- Add the okra with the seafood, not earlier. Okra releases its thickening slime as it cooks, and adding it too soon makes the gumbo gluey instead of silky.
- Filé powder goes on at the table, never in the pot while it’s still on the heat. Cooking filé makes it stringy and unpleasant.
- Shrimp cook in minutes. Don’t let them simmer longer than the recipe calls for, or they’ll turn rubbery and tight.
Ingredients
Directions
Combine flour and fat in a heavy saucepot or dutch oven and cook low heat stirring constantly 10 to 15 minutes or until the mixture is light brown (roux).
Add garlic, onion and peppers. Cook until tender.
Stir in water, undrained cut up tomatoes, paste and seasonings and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat and cook covered for 30 minutes.
Add okra and seafood and return to boil.
Reduce heat to a simmer and cook another 10 to 15 minutes until heated through.
Remove bay leaf.
Serve with rice and sprinkle with file powder.
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