It’s almost Christmas Eve! If you’re looking for a dish that is perfect to serve while gathering around the tree, here is my Company’s Comin’ Gumbo recipe. You can prepare it in the morning and heat it up as the family arrives. This soup/stew has just enough spice to keep you warm and toasty so get out there a carol up a storm!!

Gumbo

This is a great make-ahead meal. You can put it together on the stove anytime of the day and warm it up when the guests arrive. The roux makes the dish… it’s rich, luscious and full of flavor!

Serves a 6 to 8
40 Minutes (or more) ‘til Dinnertime

Preheat the oven to 350°

• 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 cup butter, 2 sticks
• 1 red pepper, deveined and diced into ¼” pieces
• 1 green pepper, deveined and diced into ¼” pieces
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion, peeled and diced into ¼-inch pieces
• 4 stalks celery, trimmed and thinly sliced
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
• 1 Tablespoon Cajun seasoning
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon coarse black pepper
• 1 cup white wine
• 2 cups homemade chicken broth, or prepared low sodium chicken broth
• 2 (8 ounce) bottles clam juice
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 1 cup tomato paste
• 4 to 6 drops hot pepper sauce
• 14 ounces andouille sausage, sliced and cut in half
• 2 pounds uncooked jumbo shrimp (21 to 25 count), peeled, deveined with tails removed
• 1 (10 ounce) package frozen sliced okra, thawed
• 2 to 3 cups cooked white rice

Spread the flour onto a baking sheet. Toast the flour in the oven for 10 minutes.

Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Whisk in the toasted flour. Stir in the diced peppers. Cook the roux until it is amber brown, about 10 to 15 minutes.

Heat the olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion, celery and garlic to the pot. Add Cajun seasoning, salt and pepper. Cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Pour in the white wine and cook until the liquid is incorporated. Stir in the chicken broth, clam juice, diced tomatoes and tomato paste. Pour in the roux and cook for 5 minutes. Season with hot pepper sauce and additional salt and pepper. Stir in the sausage, shrimp and okra. Simmer until the shrimp is cooked through and the flavors meld, about 10 minutes.

Serve the gumbo by placing a scoop of rice in the middle of a bowl. Surround the rice with gumbo. Serve additional hot pepper sauce on the side!

Nana Network Tip

Use thawed, frozen shrimp and frozen okra in this recipe. It’s perfect and way less expensive!