A Southern favorite, gumbo is a relatively easy recipe to master so long as you take it low and slow, in making a roux that creates this stews signature flavor.
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Keyword gumbo
Prep Time 30 minutesminutes
Cook Time 1 hourhour45 minutesminutes
Total Time 2 hourshours15 minutesminutes
Servings 8-10 servings
Calories 542kcal
Ingredients
½poundbacon, to make 1 cup bacon grease, (if you don't have enough grease add melted butter to make up the 1 cup)
Kosher salt, white pepper, lemon juice & Tabasco , to taste
Chopped green onions & rice, for serving
Instructions
Heat a large cast iron skillet on medium high heat and cook the bacon, set the bacon aside to drain and measure the bacon renderings to 1 cup and reserve the rest for cooking the vegetables or another use. If you don't have enough bacon renderings melt enough butter to add to the bacon grease to make one cup.
Add 3 tablespoons olive oil or bacon grease to the cast iron skillet you cooked the bacon in and cook the onion and bell pepper until soft and set aside.
Cook the sausage in the same skillet until browned and set aside with the vegetables.
Add the 1 cup of the bacon fat to the skillet over medium heat and stir in the flour. Lower the heat to low and cook for at least 1 hour, stirring every 5 minutes. The roux should be thick, but not chalky. A little grease will probably separate from the roux while cooking. When it is dark tan and smells like toasted nuts, it is done. Caution: The roux burns easily so watch it very carefully and stir often.
In a large stock pot or dutch oven, add the sautéed vegetables and sausage and heat over medium high heat. Add the beer and stir to blend. Add the garlic and simmer for 2 minutes. Add stock, tomatoes, vinegar, chicken, and all other dry ingredients. Simmer on low to medium heat for at least 1 hour.
Add salt, white pepper, lemon juice and Tabasco to taste.
Skim off about 3 cups of liquid from pot (with as few solids as possible) and combine in a bowl with about 1 cup roux. Stir until it thickens and becomes paste-like. Add about half this mixture back to pot on low heat. Stir well. Let simmer for a few minutes and add more roux mixture to thicken or water or stock to thin. The gumbo should be thick, but not as thick as gravy.
Add half of the okra. Simmer on very low for at least 30 minutes. Be careful, as it can easily burn. Add the remaining cup of okra and the crab meat 5 minutes before serving.
Taste again for salt, white pepper, lemon juice and Tabasco. Serve in bowls with rice and garnish with green onion.