A Great Gumbo – Nutrition and Food Safety (2024)

Gumbo isn’t that just Jambalaya? Gumbo is not the same as Jambalaya, the main difference is the use of rice in each dish. Gumbo is a soup or stew over rice while Jambalaya is cooked with the rice in the dish. Gumbo should be less rice than liquid and Jambalaya should not be mushy or liquid.

Gumbo is a Cajun and Creole specialty throughout the state of Louisiana. Gumbo is a stew made from seafood, meat, or vegetables that is served over hot rice. It can be made thicker with okra, filé, or a roux. The best part about Gumbo is that it can be made with an almost endless mix of proteins.

Types of Gumbo

Gumbo can feed a crowd and will have both meat and seafood. The meat can include chicken and sausage and their drippings, as well as shrimp. Gumbo can use filé, which is made from dried and ground sassafras tree leaves; it will thicken and season at the same time.

Chicken and Andouille Gumbo is made with a roux that uses andouille sausage and chicken drippings until it is a light golden-brown color. Roux is a mixture of equal parts of flour and fat cooked together and used to thicken sauces. It then cooks down with the mirepoix, okra, and garlic. This helps to achieve a balance between flavor and thickening agent.

Vegetable Gumbo is made with black-eyed peas and kale. It also contains soy sauce, smoked paprika, and the holy trinity (onions, green peppers, and celery).

Pulled Chicken Gumbo is made with chicken drippings mixed with flour to make a dark roux. This gives a savory, toasty flavor and a cream texture. When the roux starts to smell like roasted peanuts you know you have cooked it long enough. Be patient, this could take up to 15 minutes.

Ways to Cook Gumbo

Big Batch Andouille Gumbo is one that you can freeze the extra into easy-to-thaw servings and it features andouille sausage and uses okra to thicken it.

Slow-Cooker Freezer Pack Gumbo is a short-cut gumbo recipe that avoids the roux step (that can be time-consuming) and uses a small bit of rice to thicken that stew as it cooks low and slow with a Cajun spice blend. It can be served over rice or with a crusty bread.

Ten Commandments of Gumbo

What goes into a gumbo varies as much as the cook making it, but there are a few rules to keep in mind.

1. Thou Shalt Never Use Tomatoes. Gumbo is roux-based and not tomato-based. Cajun gumbo does not include tomatoes in the base, but Creole gumbo does call for tomatoes.
2. Thou Shalt Not Use Un-Cajun Sausage. Brands like Savoie’s, Richards, or anything that ends in “eaux” are good to use.
3. Thou Shalt Not Use Store-Bought Roux. Don’t be lazy stand at the stove and stir the flour/ oil until it is perfectly brown.
4. Thou Shalt Always Use a Bowl. If you use a plate, it is not gumbo it is rice and gravy!
5. Thou Shalt Only Use a Wooden Spoon. There is only one kind of spoon that can enter a gumbo pot and that is a wooden one.
6. Thou Shalt Adhere to the “Gumbo-to-Rice” Ratio. This means 2 parts gumbo to 1 part rice.
7. Thou Shalt Always Keep Filé in Ya Cabinet.
8. Thou Shalt Not Mix Chicken & Sausage with Seafood. There is Chicken and Sausage Gumbo and there is Seafood Gumbo. Leave them separate.
9. Thou Shalt Never Tell People Where the Potato Salad Goes. This is a personal choice, leave this discussion out of the kitchen.
10. Though Shalt Always Stir Your Gumbo Counter-Clockwise. It is said if you stir your gumbo counterclockwise you will have a quiet hurricane season.

The flavors in gumbo are nothing short of incredible! This heartwarming staple is the epitome of comfort food. Find a gumbo recipe to create a perfect, cozy weeknight or special occasion meal!

Shrimp & Sausage Gumbo (try this if you dare…)

4 servings

Ingredients:

4 Tablespoons butter

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 small yellow onion, chopped

1 medium green bell pepper, chopped

2 celery ribs, finely sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced

12 ounces andouille sausage, sliced into 1/2″ rounds

1 Tablespoon Cajun seasoning (without salt)

2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided

Freshly ground black pepper

1 (15-ounce) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes

4 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1 bay leaf

1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

3 scallions, sliced

Cooked white rice, for serving

Directions:

1. In a large, deep skillet over medium-low heat, melt butter, then add flour. Cook, stirring constantly, until dark caramel colored, 12-15 minutes.

2. Add onions, peppers, and celery, and stir until softened, 5-8 minutes more. Stir in garlic and sausage, then season with Cajun seasoning, 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper. Stir in diced tomatoes and chicken broth. Add bay leaf and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer until thickened, stirring occasionally, about 1 hour.

3. In the last 6 minutes of cooking, add shrimp. Once the shrimp is pink and cooked through, taste and adjust the seasonings. Stir in scallions, reserving some for garnish.

4. Serve spooned on top of white rice.

Written by Vicki Hayman, MS, University of Wyoming Extension Nutrition and Food Safety Educator

Sources:

• www.marthastewart.com
• www.foodnetwork.com
• www.episcopalplace.org

Recipe Source:

https://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/a54681/easy-seafood-gumbo-recipe/