Shrimp, Andouille, and Okra Gumbo

Shrimp, Andouille, and Okra Gumbo
Yields: 15 cups
 
Ingredients
  • ¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons canola oil, divided
  • 1 pound andouille sausage, cut into ½-inch pieces
  • ¼ pound tasso, chopped
  • ¾ cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups chopped yellow onion
  • 1½ cups chopped green bell pepper
  • 1½ cups chopped red bell pepper
  • 1 cup chopped celery
  • 6 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning*
  • 1 tablespoon concentrated tomato paste
  • 6 cups chicken stock
  • 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
  • 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 pound fresh okra, cut into ½-inch pieces
  • 1 pound peeled and deveined large fresh shrimp
  • 1 tablespoon filé powder
  • Hot cooked basmati rice
  • Jalapeño Cornbread Sticks (recipe follows)
  • Garnish: chopped green onion, hot sauce
Instructions
  1. In a large Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat. Add sausage and tasso; cook until browned, about 5 minutes. Remove sausage and tasso from pan; set aside.
  2. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add remaining ¾ cup oil to pan. Sprinkle flour into oil, whisking constantly until combined. Cook, stirring frequently, until roux turns a mahogany color, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
  3. Add onion, bell peppers, and celery; cook over medium-high heat for 5 minutes. Add garlic; cook for 1 minute. Add Cajun seasoning and tomato paste; cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add stock, tomatoes, thyme, and bay leaves; bring to a boil. Return sausage and tasso to pan; reduce heat, and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
  4. Add okra; cook until okra is tender, about 30 minutes. Add shrimp and filé; cook until shrimp are pink and firm, about 3 minutes. Serve with hot cooked rice and Jalapeño Cornbread Sticks. Garnish with green onion and hot sauce, if desired.
Notes
*We used Emeril’s Cajun Essence.

 
Jalapeño Cornbread Sticks
Yields: 15
 
Ingredients
  • 1 tablespoon salted butter, melted
  • 1 cup coarse-ground yellow cornmeal
  • ½ cup self-rising flour
  • ¼ cup chopped green onion
  • 2 tablespoons minced jalapeño
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1¼ teaspoons kosher salt, divided
  • ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 cup whole buttermilk
  • ⅓ cup canola oil
  • 1 large egg, beaten
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 425°.
  2. Brush wells of 3 (5-stick) cast-iron cornstick pans with melted butter. Place pans in oven for 5 minutes.
  3. In a large bowl, stir together cornmeal, flour, green onion, jalapeño, sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, and cayenne until well combined.
  4. In a small bowl, whisk together buttermilk, oil, and egg until combined. Add buttermilk mixture to cornmeal mixture, stirring just until combined.
  5. Remove pans from oven. Sprinkle remaining ¼ teaspoon salt into wells. Divide batter among prepared wells.
  6. Bake until browned, about 19 minutes. Remove from pans immediately.