This shrimp and sausage gumbo is a slow-cooked Creole dish built on a caramel roux, browned sausage, and the holy trinity of onions, bell pepper, and celery, simmered for three hours until deeply flavorful and served over rice.
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Place sausage in a large Dutch oven over medium; cook, stirring often, until browned on both sides, about 15 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove sausage to drain on paper towels; reserve drippings in pan.
Add butter to hot drippings in Dutch oven, stirring until melted. Gradually whisk in all-purpose flour, and cook, whisking constantly, until mixture is caramel colored, 20 to 30 minutes.
Add onions, bell pepper, celery, and garlic, and cook, stirring often, until vegetables are very tender, 15 to 18 minutes.
Gradually stir in broth. Stir in sausage, okra, tomatoes, bay leaves, salt, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, thyme, and pepper.
Increase heat to medium-high, and bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to low, and simmer, partially covered, stirring occasionally, about 3 hours.
Remove and discard bay leaves. Stir in shrimp, and cook until shrimp turn pink, about 5 minutes. Stir in parsley, and remove from heat. Serve gumbo over hot cooked rice. Garnish with sliced scallions and filé powder, if desired.
Cool completely and refrigerate in an airtight container up to 3 days, or freeze up to 2 months. Reheat gently on low heat, stirring occasionally, until warmed through.
large Dutch oven (5–6 quart)
About 3.5 to 4 hours total: 15 minutes for sausage, 20–30 minutes for the roux, 15–18 minutes for vegetables, then 3 hours of simmering, plus 5 minutes to cook the shrimp.
Yes. Make it through step 5, cool, and refrigerate up to 3 days. Reheat on low, then add shrimp and parsley just before serving.
Start over; a burnt roux will taste bitter and ruin the dish. Keep heat at medium and whisk constantly. The roux should be caramel-colored after 20–30 minutes.
Okra thickens gumbo naturally; filé powder (added at the end) can replace it, but okra is traditional. Use 2–3 teaspoons filé powder stirred in after removing from heat.
Smoked spicy-hot sausage like Conecuh or andouille is traditional. Avoid fresh sausage; you need the smokiness and firmness to hold up during simmering.
