Culinary Guides

A good gumbo is a slow Saturday well spent. This Southern classic leans on a homemade shrimp stock, a dark roux, and a big pile of okra to thicken and flavor the pot, along with sweet tomatoes, onions, and green peppers. Serve it over rice and do not rush it.

Ingredients

For the stock

• 3 quarts water
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 small onion, cut into wedges
• Salt, to taste
• Ground black pepper, to taste

For the gumbo

• 2 pounds shrimp in shells
• 1 1/2 cups crabmeat
• 1 teaspoon parsley, or to taste
• 2 pounds okra, sliced
• 4 tablespoons bacon grease, butter, or duck fat, divided
• 4 medium tomatoes, peeled and chopped
• 2 medium onions, finely chopped
• 2 green peppers, finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper, or to taste
• 4 tablespoons brown roux
• 1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, or to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon ground dried thyme (optional)
• 1/4 teaspoon dried parsley (optional)
• 1 cup cooked rice (optional, for serving)

Directions

Make the shrimp stock

1. Bring the water to a boil in a large Dutch oven with the bay leaves, lemon juice, onion wedges, salt, pepper, and parsley.
2. Rinse the shrimp and add them, still in their shells. Cook 2 minutes, until pink.
3. Remove the shrimp, peel them, and refrigerate the meat. Return the shells to the pot and keep simmering to build the stock.

Build the gumbo base

1. In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the fat over medium heat. Add the okra and saute until soft and lightly browned, about 10 minutes, then transfer to a large stew pot with the chopped tomatoes.
2. Wipe the skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons fat, and saute the onions, green peppers, and crushed red pepper until softened, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add to the stew pot.

Add the roux and simmer

1. Warm the brown roux in a saucepan over low heat until smooth. Strain the shrimp stock, then gradually whisk about 2 quarts of it into the roux until smooth.
2. Pour the roux and stock into the stew pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce and simmer 1 1/2 hours, adding more stock as needed to keep a stew consistency.
3. Taste and adjust the salt, pepper, thyme, and parsley, and simmer another 1 to 2 hours to deepen the flavor.

Finish

1. In the last 15 minutes, stir in the reserved shrimp and the crabmeat and heat through. Serve hot over boiled rice.

Grower's tip: Okra is the thickener here, and it is best picked small. Harvest the pods at two to three inches every day or two; leave them longer and they turn tough and stringy. Frequent picking also keeps the plants setting new pods right through the heat.

No roux on hand? Cook equal parts flour and fat over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until it reaches a deep brown.

The backbone of any gumbo comes from the garden. Grow your own okra, tomatoes, onions, and peppers and you are most of the way to the pot.