Louisiana Real and Rustic: Shrimp and Okra Gumbo

May 6, 2020

So I already mentioned that i’m a big Emeril fan. The last cookbook of his I reviewed was all about comfort food. This cookbook is really the basics of Cajun cooking. I haven’t used it a lot, because my husband does most of the Cajun cooking in our house. The other day he make this gumbo recipe, but he always likes to tweak recipes, so I will provide info about that below.

Six servings

  • 2 pounds small okra
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 cups chopped fresh or canned tomatoes
  • 1 cup chopped onions
  • 1 cup chopped celery
  • 1 3/4 teaspoons salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
  • 5 bay leaves
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 2 quarts water
  • 1 pounds medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
  1. Wash the okra in cool water. Remove the caps and tips and cut into 1/4-inch rounds.
  2. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Fry the okra, stirring constantly, for 10 to 12 minutes, or until most of the slime disappears.
  3. Add the tomatoes, onions, and celery and cook, stirring often, for 18 to 20 minutes, or until the okra and other vegetables are soft and the slime has completely disappeared.
  4. Add the salt, cayenne, bay leaves, thyme, and water. Stir and bring to a boil.
  5. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Add the shrimp and cook, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes.
  6. Remove the bay leaves and serve in deep bowls.

My Husband’s Notes: His first tip is that you might want to cut up your shrimp if it’s really big. His second tip is to add file powder. File is a spice made from sassafrass leaves that is found in Cajun cooking. Even though this recipe didn’t call for any (and some recipes just call for serving it the side), my husband thinks it ups the Cajun flavor. And I would have to agree.

Hope you enjoy this recipe!

 

Wrap Up

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