Shrimp Gumbo [Oven Roux Method]

Directions

• Step 1 ” servings=”8″ prep_time=”12M” cook_time=”2H48M” total_time=”3H” difficulty=”Advaced” print=”yes” image=”https://nutrivorelife.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/10E5C14F-D3DD-42DA-9919-207DBD3FE6FD-300×225.jpeg” ingredients=”Shrimp Gumbo
• Step 2 4 oz fat of choice (lard, ghee, avocado oil, olive oil, or tallow)
• Step 3 4 oz flour
• Step 4 1 green bell pepper, diced small
• Step 5 1 celery stalk, diced small
• Step 6 1 medium/large onion, diced small
• Step 7 4 cups of shrimp stock, see below (or a combination of clam juice, vegetable stock, and chicken stock)
• Step 8 3 cups of stock (I used a combination of equal parts chicken stock and vegetable stock)
• Step 9 1 15 oz can of no salt diced tomatoes
• Step 10 1 bag of frozen okra
• Step 11 2 teaspoons of thyme
• Step 12 1 clove of garlic, pressed
• Step 13 1 teaspoon of essence
• Step 14 1 Tablespoon of salt
• Step 15 1 teaspoon of black pepper
• Step 16 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
• Step 17 12 oz of andouille sausage, 1/4 inch biased slices
• Step 18 12 oz of shrimp (I used precooked and added last)
• Step 19 For the Shrimp Stock
• Step 20 2 tablespoons butter
• Step 21 2 cups of shrimp tails and shells
• Step 22 1 onion quartered
• Step 23 1 celery stalk
• Step 24 1 handful of baby carrots or 1 large whole carrot
• Step 25 1 cup of dry white wine
• Step 26 4 cups filtered water
• Step 27 8 whole pepper corns
• Step 28 1 bay leaf” ]Heat oil in a medium-size pot until it shimmers, add shrimp parts, and sauté for 3 minutes. (In my case, I used some fresh shrimp tails from cooked shrimp and some raw frozen shrimp shells I had from another recipe).
• Step 29 Add onion, celery, and carrot pieces to the pot. And, continue to sauté  the mixture for 3 more minutes.
• Step 30 Add the wine and cook until it’s reduced by half. (I used champagne because I had some leftover from our Christmas Breakfast).
• Step 31 Add four cups of water, 8 pepper corns, 1 bay leaf, to the shrimp stock.
• Step 32 Simmer partially covered for 45 minutes until the stock looks golden.
• Step 33 Strain the liquid through cheese cloth and set aside.
• Step 34 Prepare the roux by preheating oven to 350 degrees. Measure out the oil and flour in small bowls (a scale is preferable for accuracy).
• Step 35 Mix the flour and oil in a dutch oven and bake in the oven (as opposed to stirring constantly over low heat) for 30 minutes. TIP: set a timer.
• Step 36 The picture below is what the roux looks like before going into the oven the first time.
• Step 37 At the 30 minute mark remove the dutch oven and stir the flour and oil. The roux is still light in color at this point. Place the pot back in the oven for another 30 minutes. TIP: using a timer is important. If the roux burns, you’ll need to start over.
• Step 38 At the 60 minute mark remove the dutch oven and stir the flour and oil. The roux is significantly darker at this point. It looks like melted caramel. But wait, you want the darkest roux without burning it, so bake for ANOTHER 30 minutes. During this last half hour I stirred twice (just in case). Therefore, remove the pot and stir the roux at the 75 minute mark, and at the 90 minute mark. So, let’s recap. That is a total of 1 1/2 hours of baking the roux which you can do on the stove top, but I don’t want to babysit and stir roux on the stove top for that long.
• Step 39 After removing the roux from the oven at the 90 minute mark, it will be a deep caramel color.  You could proceed to the next step at this point, OR you could go for a deep pumpkin pie color roux. You choose. I continuously stirred the roux on a low heat (3 on my electric stove) for ANOTHER 30 minutes. Yes, that means 2 hours for the roux alone.
• Step 40 Have the diced onion, celery, and green pepper ready to go along with the shrimp stock near by as you finish up stirring the roux in the previous step. You can prep the vegetables as the roux cooks. As you add the onion, celery, and green pepper the roux will darken even more.
• Step 41 Keep stirring as long as you dare.
• Step 42 Add 4 cups of shrimp stock and the okra plus 3 more cups of stock (I used equal parts of chicken stock and vegetable stock).
• Step 43 Then add all the seasonings and simmer uncovered on low for 40 minutes: thyme, garlic, essence, salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper. Wait to adjust seasonings until after the sausage has been added. NOTE: this would be a good time to make some rice to serve with the gumbo. It’s finally time to add the andouille sausage to the gumbo. Simmer the gumbo with the sausage for 5 minutes and then adjust seasonings if necessary.
• Step 44 Add the shrimp, turn off the heat and cover for 3 minutes.
• Step 45 Optionally: serve with rice which you can make while the gumbo is simmering.