Gulf Coast Shrimp Gumbo - cooking recipe

Ingredients

8 tablespoons vegetable oil or 8 tablespoons canola oil
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3/4 cup chopped onion
3/4 cup chopped celery
3/4 cup chopped carrot
3/4 cup diced red bell pepper
2 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/4 cup cayenne pepper
3/4 teaspoon dried thyme
3/8 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
3/8 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper, plus more to taste
3 cups chicken stock, plus extra if needed
1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained well
5 springs fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 bay leaves, broken in half
12 ounces okra, cut into 1/4-inch rounds
6 ounces andouille sausages, cut into 1/4-inch dice
1 lb large raw shrimp, shelled and deveined
4 cups cooked white rice

Preparation

Make a roux-heat 4 tablespoons oil in a medium, heavy skillet set over medium heat.
When hot, add flour and stir constantly with a wooden spoon until the mixture thickens and turns a deep reddish brown, 6-8 minutes.
Remove from heat and set aside.
Add 2 tablespoons oil to a large heavy, deep sided pot set over med-high heat.
When hot, add in onion, celery, carrot, and red bell pepper.
Saute, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes.
Add in garlic and cook, stirring for 1 minute.
Stir in cayenne, thyme, salt, and pepper.
Add stock, tomatoes, parsley, and bay leaves; bring mixture to a simmer.
Decrease heat to low so that mixture stays at a simmer, then whisk in the roux.
Simmer gumbo until vegetables are tender and mixture has thickened, about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a large heavy skillet over med-high heat.
When hot, add the okra and saute, stirring, until just lightly browned around the edges, 4-5 minutes.
Add okra and sausage to the gumbo after it has simmered 20 minutes.
Cook 1 minute to heat through.
When ready to serve, add shrimp to the gumbo and cook until the shrimp curl and turn pink, about 3 minutes (do not overcook the shrimp).
Taste gumbo and season with salt and pepper, if needed.
If gumbo is too thick, thin it with extra stock to desired consistency.
To serve, place about 2/3 cup rice in 6 shallow soup bowls and ladle gumbo over rice.