Creole Gumbo

All of the south Louisiana flavor heavy hitters are in this one yum-delicious pot of grain and gluten free Creole gumbo, y'all!! My Trinity Roux forms the authentic flavor and texture base that you crave. Then, seasoned chicken, shrimp and loose crab meat, blue crabs, sausage and okra lend the sustenance to the pot. And the stewed tomatoes, tomato sauce, broth and seasonings put the finishing super tasty touches on this culinary crown jewel that makes the perfect year-round palate pick-me-up. Yep and yay...

It's a Gumbo Thing, Y'all, a Gumbo Thing...

Even though it's now late July, I've been craving gumbo so bad that I whipped up a batch for us to enjoy in our jacket-cold south Louisiana air-conditioned home. I usually make Cajun chicken and sausage or seafood gumbos. And I love, love, love them and find no fault with them.

However, sometimes I crave the tomato sauce and stewed tomatoes which are indicative of a traditional Creole gumbo. So, I purposed to make my gumbo a little different this time. And I went super BIG with the ingredients, as well.

I used beef sausage and a sliced, seasoned chicken breast. And then I also used seasoned shrimp and loose crab claw meat. And at the end, I took this Creole gumbo to the ultimate top by adding cleaned blue crabs, or gumbo crabs, as we call them in south Louisiana to the pot.

Of course, I started the gumbo with my Trinity Roux. And I cooked it down low and slow until I felt that all of the ingredients were cooked perfectly and the broth had reduced just enough.

That's the thing with gumbo, y'all. It's not a quick dish, and that's what makes it so special. With this Creole gumbo, you can taste its slow-cooked savour in each bite and feel all of the love that you put into it all the way down to your toes. 

How to Make Creole Gumbo

Start the Creole gumbo by gathering all of the ingredients, and seasoning the shrimp, lump or claw crab meat and sliced chicken breasts. Then, set it all aside: 

And brown the sausage in the bottom of your 7-quart enameled cast iron Dutch oven: 

Now, remove the browned sausage to a paper towel-line plate and start your doubled Trinity Roux:

And then add the broth to the roux, and let it cook down for a few minutes: 

Then, add the sausage, chicken, okra and seasonings to the pot: 

Top with the stewed tomatoes and tomato sauce: 

And cook it for about an hour, stirring often: 

Next, add the shrimp and lump or claw crab meat: 

And the blue crabs to the pot, then cook for an additional 5 to 10 minutes before removing from heat: 

And that's it y'all!!

If you've never made Creole gumbo before, this process might seem daunting to you. But, I promise that all of the steps will naturally fall into place the first time, so by your second gumbo you'll be fearless and oh sooo on top of all things gumbo. Indeed.

This Creole gumbo recipe is super near and dear to my heart, as I'm sure it will be to you once you try it. My Trinity Roux flavor and texture authenticates this gumbo, so there's no guesswork on your part. And, you can use whatever seafood, sausage and chicken parts you have on hand. So, you're bound to find all of the ingredients in your fridge or freezer one day that'll make this gumbo a very exciting, very easy dish to make for those you hold near and dear. 

Share this grain and gluten free Creole gumbo with those whose love, companionship and loyalty have granted them a forever home in your heart. And see y'all on the yum side...

Creole Gumbo

Flavor and texture-authenticated with my own Trinity Roux, this grain and gluten free Creole gumbo is a year-round delicacy that also fits into Paleo, low carb and keto diets.

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Course: Main Dish/Holiday

Cuisine: Cajun/Creole

Keyword: creole gumbo, gluten free creole gumbo, grain free creole gumbo, Louisiana Creole gumbo, New Orleans Creole gumbo

Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 2 hours hours

Servings:8 people

Author: Lyn Corinne Liner

Ingredients

For the Seasoned Seafood & Chicken

• 1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 8 ounces lump crab or crab claw meat, picked over for shells
• 1 chicken breast, cut into thin strips
• 2 teaspoons Crystal hot sauce
• ½ teaspoon lemon pepper
• 2 teaspoons parsley flakes

For the Creole Gumbo

• 1 tablespoon oil or butter, if needed see notes
• 12 ounces sausage, sliced
• Double Trinity Roux, prepared with chicken broth
• 8 cups chicken broth
• 12 ounces frozen okra
• 1 14.5- ounce can stewed tomatoes with juice
• ¾ cup tomato sauce
• 1 ½ teaspoons paprika
• 1 ½ teaspoons onion powder
• 1 pound in-shell blue crabs, cleaned and separated, optional
• salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper to taste, if needed, at the very end of the cooking process, see instructions

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Instructions

• Place the shrimp and crab meat into a bowl.
• Put the sliced chicken breast in a separate bowl.
• Sprinkle the lemon pepper, parsley and hot sauce liberally over the seafood and meat in both bowls, then toss to coat.
• Set both bowls aside.
• Brown the sausage in the bottom of a 7-quart enameled cast iron Dutch oven.
• When the sausage is browned, transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.
• Prepare the doubled Trinity Roux in the pan drippings in the Dutch oven. (see notes)
• When the Trinity Roux is ready, add the broth and cook for five additional minutes, using a wooden cooking spoon to pick up any browned pieces on the bottom of the pot that might have stuck while cooking the roux.
• Add the sausage back to the pot along with the seasoned chicken pieces, tomato sauce, stewed tomatoes, frozen okra, paprika and onion powder.
• Bring to a rolling boil, then reduce heat to medium and cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour, stirring often and scraping the bottom of the pot with the wooden spoon each time you stir.
• Add the seasoned shrimp, crab meat and blue crabs to the pot.
• Cook for an additional 5 to 10 minutes, or until the shrimp turn opaque and the blue crabs turn a deep reddish-orange color.
• Taste and add the salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper now, if desired.
• Remove from heat and serve with rice or cauliflower rice.

Notes

You will use 2 ⅔ cups of GF chicken broth when you make the Trinity Roux, so you'll need another 8 cups for the gumbo. If you find that the Trinity Roux is too dry or clumpy after you add the slurry, then add ½ to 1 cup additional broth to help it achieve optimal consistency. 

You will only need the tablespoon of butter or oil to brown the sausage if you have really lean sausage. Otherwise, the sausage will immediately start to release its own fat and negate the need for oil or butter. 

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