Best 3 My Louisiana Grandmothers Gumbo My Version Recipes

In the heart of Louisiana, where the bayous meet the vibrant cities, lies a culinary treasure that embodies the spirit of the region: gumbo. This iconic dish, with its rich history and diverse flavors, is a symphony of spices, seafood, and vegetables, all harmoniously blended in a savory broth. From the classic Creole gumbo, bursting with shrimp, okra, and the holy trinity of celery, bell peppers, and onions, to the rustic Cajun gumbo, featuring chicken, sausage, and a roux that deepens the flavor, gumbo is a culinary journey that captures the essence of Louisiana. And in this article, we bring you not one, but three delectable gumbo recipes, each with its unique character and charm. So, prepare your taste buds for an adventure as we delve into the secrets of this beloved Louisiana dish.

Here are our top 3 tried and tested recipes!

GOOD NEW ORLEANS CREOLE GUMBO

Good New Orleans Creole Gumbo image

I am going to give you my gumbo recipe. I learned to cook from my mother and grandmother who were born and raised in New Orleans and really knew how to cook. Most of the time, you could not get them to write down their recipes because they used a 'pinch' of this and 'just enough of that' and 'two fingers of water,' and so on. This recipe is a combination of both of their recipes which I have added to over the years. Serve over hot cooked rice. The gumbo can be frozen or refrigerated and many people like it better the next day. Bon appetit!

Provided by Mddoccook

Categories Soups, Stews and Chili Recipes Stews Gumbo Recipes

Time 3h40m

Yield 20

Number Of Ingredients 24

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour
¾ cup bacon drippings
1 cup coarsely chopped celery
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
1 large green bell pepper, coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound andouille sausage, sliced
3 quarts water
6 cubes beef bouillon
1 tablespoon white sugar
salt to taste
2 tablespoons hot pepper sauce (such as Tabasco®), or to taste
½ teaspoon Cajun seasoning blend (such as Tony Chachere's®), or to taste
4 bay leaves
½ teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1 (14.5 ounce) can stewed tomatoes
1 (6 ounce) can tomato sauce
4 teaspoons file powder, divided
2 tablespoons bacon drippings
2 (10 ounce) packages frozen cut okra, thawed
2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
1 pound lump crabmeat
3 pounds uncooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

Steps:

Make a roux by whisking the flour and 3/4 cup bacon drippings together in a large, heavy saucepan over medium-low heat to form a smooth mixture. Cook the roux, whisking constantly, until it turns a rich mahogany brown color. This can take 20 to 30 minutes; watch heat carefully and whisk constantly or roux will burn. Remove from heat; continue whisking until mixture stops cooking.
Place the celery, onion, green bell pepper, and garlic into the work bowl of a food processor, and pulse until the vegetables are very finely chopped. Stir the vegetables into the roux, and mix in the sausage. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium-low heat, and cook until vegetables are tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat, and set aside.
Bring the water and beef bouillon cubes to a boil in a large Dutch oven or soup pot. Stir until the bouillon cubes dissolve, and whisk the roux mixture into the boiling water. Reduce heat to a simmer, and mix in the sugar, salt, hot pepper sauce, Cajun seasoning, bay leaves, thyme, stewed tomatoes, and tomato sauce. Simmer the soup over low heat for 1 hour; mix in 2 teaspoons of file gumbo powder at the 45-minute mark.
Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons of bacon drippings in a skillet, and cook the okra with vinegar over medium heat for 15 minutes; remove okra with slotted spoon, and stir into the simmering gumbo. Mix in crabmeat, shrimp, and Worcestershire sauce, and simmer until flavors have blended, 45 more minutes. Just before serving, stir in 2 more teaspoons of file gumbo powder.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 283.1 calories, Carbohydrate 12.1 g, Cholesterol 142.6 mg, Fat 16.6 g, Fiber 1.8 g, Protein 20.9 g, SaturatedFat 5.9 g, Sodium 853.1 mg, Sugar 2.8 g

HUSBAND'S GRANDMOTHER'S SHRIMP GUMBO

Husband's Grandmother's Shrimp Gumbo image

My husband's grandmother taught me this recipe. She actually cooked for Cajun festivals. She used 40-gallon trash cans for her stock pots. People would line up for this authentic Cajun specialty. This recipe serves eight but multiplies well. Serve gumbo over cooked white rice.

Provided by ranch_maven

Categories Soups, Stews and Chili Recipes Stews Gumbo Recipes

Time 3h

Yield 12

Number Of Ingredients 20

Ingredients

1 pound smoked sausage links, cut into 1/4-inch slices
¼ pound bacon, chopped
2 cups chopped okra
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chile peppers
½ cup unsalted butter
⅔ cup all-purpose flour
2 cups chopped onion
½ cup chopped green onions
⅔ cup finely chopped green bell pepper
⅔ cup finely chopped celery
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 cups water
salt to taste
ground black pepper to taste
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 bay leaves
6 cups water
2 pounds uncooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

Steps:

Brown the sausage in a skillet over medium heat, discard the fat in the skillet, and drain the sausage slices on paper towels to absorb any excess grease. Set the sausage aside. Cook and stir the chopped bacon in the skillet until crisp, 6 to 8 minutes, remove the bacon, and set aside. Stir the okra into the hot bacon drippings, and cook and stir until the okra is tender, about 5 minutes. Drain the okra in a colander, and discard bacon drippings.
Place the okra and diced tomatoes in a saucepan over medium heat, and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer the okra mixture for about 10 minutes.
In a large soup pot, melt the butter over medium heat, and cook and stir the onion, green onions, green pepper, celery, parsley, and garlic until the onion begins to turn brown, about 10 minutes. Remove the vegetables but leave the butter in the pot. Stir in the flour, reduce heat to low, and cook the roux, stirring constantly, until it turns the color of milk chocolate, 30 to 45 minutes. Do not let the roux burn.
When the roux reaches its correct color, whisk in 2 cups of water. Raise the heat to medium; stir in salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, thyme, and bay leaves, bring the mixture to a boil, and stir in the sausage, bacon, okra-tomato mixture, and 6 more cups of water. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer the gumbo, stirring occasionally, until the soup has thickened and the flavors are blended, about 45 minutes. Stir in the shrimp, and simmer until they turn pink and opaque, 6 to 8 more minutes. Discard bay leaves and adjust the seasonings, if desired, before serving.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 343.5 calories, Carbohydrate 12.6 g, Cholesterol 164.7 mg, Fat 21.8 g, Fiber 2 g, Protein 23.9 g, SaturatedFat 9.8 g, Sodium 922 mg, Sugar 2.6 g

MY GRANDMOTHER'S GUMBO - AS NEAR AS I CAN REMEMBER

My Grandmother's Gumbo - As Near As I Can Remember image

My grandmother used to make a wonderful gumbo - but over the years the recipe has been lost. After a lot of emails to family members, and research on-line and in cookbooks, I came up with this version. My grandmother always started with a whole chicken and made the stock herself. If you are pressed for time, you can use prepared chicken broth - but I promise you - it won't be as good. Gumbo tastes best if it is made at least one day in advance and then chilled. This allows the flavors to meld. This is a fiddly recipe, and it takes a lot of time. But the results are more than worth the trouble, I promise.

Provided by Ex-Pat Mama

Categories Gumbo

Time 4h30m

Yield 10 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 20

Ingredients

3 lbs chicken
14 cups water
1 onion, rough cut
1 stalk celery, rough cut
1 carrot, unpeeled and rough cut
2 sprigs parsley
2 bay leaves
salt and pepper
5 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup flour
1 large onion, cut into thick slices
1 green pepper, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 lb okra, cut into chunks
2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
4 cups tomatoes, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
salt and pepper
2 bay leaves
1 lb shrimp, cleaned and shelled

Steps:

Place the Chicken, water, onion, celery, carrot, parsley, bay leaves and salt and pepper into a large stock pot. Bring almost to a boil. Cover and turn the temperature very low. Allow to cook, skimming off the froth occasionally, for about an hour.
Cool the broth slightly and then strain - pressing out as much water from the meat as possible. Remove the chicken meat and reserve for later. Set the broth aside for later. Discard all of the remaining solids. These steps can be done early in the day or the day ahead.
Make a roux: Melt the 5 tablespoons of butter in a very large soup pot over medium low heat. Stir in the flour and continue stirring until the roux is a deep coppery color - this takes up to 15 minutes. If you burn it, throw it away and begin again. The scorched taste will ruin your gumbo.
Add the onion to the roux. Cook 2-3 minutes until soft, stirring almost constantly.
Add the green pepper and celery. Cook 2-3 minutes, stirring almost constantly.
Add the okra and parsley. Cook 3 - 5 minutes, stirring frequently. If it sticks to the pan too much, toss in 1/4 of water.
Add the tomatoes, garlic, salt and pepper, and bay leaves.
Add the reserved chicken broth back to the pot. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Lower the temperature and simmer for 1 1/2 hours.
At this point I let the gumbo cool down and then set the whole thing in the fridge at least over night.
Return the soup to the stove top. Add in the reserved chicken and the shrimp. Heat through and serve over rice.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 454.3, Fat 27.3, SaturatedFat 9.7, Cholesterol 212.9, Sodium 608.1, Carbohydrate 13.3, Fiber 3.5, Sugar 4.4, Protein 38.1

Tips:

Use a heavy pot: Gumbo is a hearty soup that requires a long cooking time. A heavy pot will help to distribute the heat evenly and prevent the gumbo from scorching.
Don't overcrowd the pot: When adding ingredients to the pot, be sure to do so in batches. Overcrowding the pot will prevent the ingredients from cooking evenly.
Cook the roux slowly: The roux is the base of the gumbo, and it's important to cook it slowly over low heat. This will help to develop the flavor of the roux and prevent it from burning.
Use a good quality stock: The stock you use will have a big impact on the flavor of the gumbo. Use a homemade stock if possible, or look for a good quality store-bought stock.
Don't be afraid to experiment: There are many different ways to make gumbo, so don't be afraid to experiment with different ingredients and techniques. You may be surprised at what you create!

Conclusion:

Gumbo is a delicious and versatile dish that can be enjoyed by people of all ages. With its rich flavor and hearty ingredients, gumbo is a perfect meal for any occasion. Whether you're a beginner or a seasoned cook, I encourage you to try making gumbo at home. With a little practice, you'll be able to make a gumbo that your family and friends will love.