Make-Ahead Shrimp & Andouille Sausage Gumbo

Gumbo is the heart of Louisiana cooking, and a great one is a labor of love built on a single crucial element: the roux. Toasted in the oven and then cooked patiently to a deep amber, it gives the gumbo its unmistakable nutty depth and body. Add the onion, celery and garlic, a good broth, smoky andouille and sweet shrimp, and you have a pot of pure soul. Best of all, gumbo only improves overnight, so it is made to be made ahead.

The Amber Roux

Everything in a gumbo rests on the roux, and a great one demands patience. Toast the flour on a sheet pan at 350 degrees until it is golden and nutty, whisk it into melted butter along with the diced red and green peppers, and cook it to a deep amber brown — the darker it goes, the more nutty, toasty depth it lends, though it must never be allowed to burn. This is the meditative heart of gumbo-making; give it your full attention and the ten or fifteen minutes it needs on the stove, and it rewards you with the flavor that defines the dish.

The Base, Broth & Seafood

The base goes together first — onion, celery, and garlic softened with Cajun seasoning until fragrant, then white wine, broth, clam juice and tomatoes — and the finished roux is poured in to thicken it. Let it simmer so the flavors meld and deepen. The andouille and shrimp go in together at the end, the sausage lending its smoky richness while the shrimp simmer about ten minutes, just until opaque and cooked through so they stay sweet and succulent. Serve it with a generous scoop of white rice in the center of a shallow bowl and the gumbo ladled all around it.

Jorj Morgan

Make-Ahead Shrimp & Andouille Sausage Gumbo

This robust gumbo marries tender shrimp and piquant andouille sausage within a deeply flavorful, amber roux. It's a make-ahead masterpiece, where rich tradition meets the ease of elegant entertaining, promising a truly memorable meal.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr

Servings: 6 servings

Course: Main Course

Ingredients Equipment Method

Ingredients

  

The Roux

• 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 cup butter, 2 sticks
• 1 red bell pepper, deveined and diced into ¼-inch pieces, about 1 cup
• 1 green bell pepper, deveined and diced into ¼-inch pieces, about 1 cup

Soup Base - Aromatics & Spices

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion, peeled and diced into ¼-inch pieces, about 1 cup
• 4 stalks celery, trimmed and thinly sliced, about ½ cup
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled and minced, about 2 tablespoons
• 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon coarse black pepper

Soup Base - Liquids & Tomatoes

• 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

The Seafood & Finish

• 14 ounces andouille sausage, sliced into rounds and cut in half
• 2 pounds uncooked jumbo shrimp (21 to 25 count), peeled, deveined with tails removed
• 2 to 3 cups cooked white rice

Equipment

• 1 Large metal baking sheet
• 1 Heavy-duty enameled cast-iron Dutch oven
• 1 Heavy-bottomed cast-iron skillet
• 1 Heavy-bottomed saucepan
• 1 Precision wooden cutting board

Method

 

Preparing the Roux

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Spread the flour onto a baking sheet. Toast until the flour has a slight golden tinge, about 8 to 10 minutes. This step will help to remove any uncooked, floury taste from the sauce.
2. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Whisk in the toasted flour.
3. Stir in the diced peppers. Cook the roux, stirring often, until it turns amber brown, about 10 to 15 minutes.

Building the Gumbo

1. While you are cooking the roux, heat the olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion, celery and garlic to the pot. Add Cajun seasoning and add some of the salt and pepper. Cook until the veggies are soft, about 5 minutes.
2. Pour in white wine and cook until the liquid mostly disappears.
3. Stir in chicken broth, clam juice, diced tomatoes and tomato paste.
4. Add the roux to the sauce and cook for 5 minutes. Taste the sauce and season with as much hot pepper sauce and additional salt and pepper as you like.

The Final Simmer

1. Stir in the sausage and shrimp.
2. Simmer until the shrimp is cooked through and the flavors meld, about 10 minutes.
3. 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!