Creole Sausage, Shrimp, and Oyster Gumbo

Name: Creole Sausage, Shrimp, and Oyster Gumbo
Yield: serves 4
Ingredients: 1/4 pound okra, trimmed of tops and cut into 1/2-inch-thick rounds; 2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar; 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt; 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil; 1 yellow or white onion, coarsely chopped; 2 ribs celery, coarsely chopped; 1 green bell pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped; 3 cloves garlic, chopped; 1 bay leaf, crumbled; 1 teaspoon dried thyme; 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano; 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper; 1 cup coarsely chopped canned plum tomatoes, with juice; 5 cups chicken broth (page 5); 1 pound Creole Sausage (page 20), formed into 1-inch balls; 18 medium-size shrimp, preferably in the shell, deveined if necessary; 12 shucked oysters, with liquor; Corn bread for serving (see Skillet Tamale Pie with Mexican Beef Sausage in jalapeño and Cheese Corn Bread Crust, page 67; made without the sausage)

January 24, 2012

Sausage in a gumbo usually means smoked sausage. Sometimes Louisiana smoked ham, called tasso, is also added or is used in place of the sausage. A roux (a mixture of flour and fat) is the traditional thickener, usually augmented with filé powder (ground dried sassafras leaves) or okra. In keeping with today’s taste for lighter fare, I swap the smoked sausage and/or ham for my homemade sausage and eliminate the roux. The okra alone does the thickening, and the step of soaking the okra pods in a salt-and-vinegar bath before adding them to the pot ensures they won’t be overly viscous. It is important to use dried herbs and canned tomatoes to produce the distinguishing flavors of this dish from a cuisine built around preserved goods. Make sure the okra is fresh, however. I like to use shrimp in the shell because they enrich the broth. That does make for somewhat messy eating, however. If you want to save your guests the trouble of peeling their own shrimp, remove the shells and simmer them in 1 cup of the broth, then strain the liquid into the pot when adding the remainder of the broth. Shell-on shrimp are easy enough to devein, if it’s necessary to do so, by simply cutting through the shell along the back of each shrimp with a sharp paring knife.

Recipe notes