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Big Charlie's Gumbo

SUBMITTED BY: Eric Bernabe PHOTO BY: CYNDIE4

"This is a basic gumbo recipe with a lot of added flavor. You can omit the stew meat if you choose or add something in its place. I recommend you serve this recipe over rice, like many other gumbo recipes."
RECIPE RATING:
The reviewer gave this recipe 33 stars. This recipe average a 4.5 star rating.
Read Reviews (30)
PREP TIME  30 Min
COOK TIME  3 Hrs 30 Min
READY IN  4 Hrs

SERVINGS

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Servings
 

INGREDIENTS (Nutrition)

  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 cups chopped onion
  • 3/4 cup chopped celery
  • 1 pound okra, chopped
  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 pound cubed beef stew meat (optional)
  • 8 cups water
  • 1 (16 ounce) can whole tomatoes, undrained and chopped
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons white sugar
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 sprig fresh thyme
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
  • 1 pinch ground black pepper
  • 1 pound andouille sausage, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
  • 1/2 pound crabmeat, flaked
  • 1 pound medium shrimp - peeled and deveined
  • 1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
  • 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/2 lemon
  • file powder

DIRECTIONS

  1. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook garlic, onions, celery and okra, stirring constantly until golden brown. Set aside.
  2. In a large heavy bottomed stock pot over medium-high heat, combine 1/4 cup of butter and flour. Cook, stirring constantly, until the roux becomes chocolate brown. Stir in the vegetable mixture, and stew meat. Cook, stirring, until vegetables are tender, and meat is evenly brown. Stir in water, tomatoes and sugar. Season with parsley, thyme, bay leaves, salt, cayenne pepper and black pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 2 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.
  3. Add shrimp, crabmeat and andouille to stock pot. Stir in hot pepper sauce and Worcestershire sauce. Remove seeds from lemon and squeeze juice into stock pot. Simmer an additional 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove bay leaves, sprinkle with file powder, and serve.

FOOTNOTE

  • File powder can be added off the heat to thicken the gumbo. If added while the gumbo is still cooking, it may become stringy and unpleasant. File powder is ground sassafras leaves. It is available in many supermarkets.
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REVIEWS

The reviewer gave this recipe 4 stars. This recipe averages a 0 star rating.
Reviewed on Oct. 17, 2003 by LISA 69
This Gumbo was wonderful!! I made it for my husbands 50th birthday dinner. It does take... MORE
The reviewer gave this recipe 5 stars. This recipe averages a 0 star rating.
Reviewed on May 10, 2007 by rdd
1st gumbo i made and haven't had to try any others...made this multiple times, by the book and... MORE
The reviewer gave this recipe 5 stars. This recipe averages a 0 star rating.
Reviewed on Oct. 17, 2003 by Eva
This recipe is exceptional. I left out the beef, and served it over rice, it was quite good... MORE
The reviewer gave this recipe 4 stars. This recipe averages a 0 star rating.
Reviewed on Jan. 5, 2003 by KAWAMIZU
This recipe was absolutely delicious & quite easy to make--with plenty of leftovers! MORE
The reviewer gave this recipe 5 stars. This recipe averages a 0 star rating.
Reviewed on Jan. 5, 2003 by ZERNK
Wow! This was great. I used chicken instead of the shellfish and beef and it was wonderful. ... MORE
The reviewer gave this recipe 5 stars. This recipe averages a 0 star rating.
Reviewed on Nov. 19, 2007 by bk
Great recipe. I took out the beef and added a 3 pound rotisserie chicken (pulled and... MORE
The reviewer gave this recipe 5 stars. This recipe averages a 0 star rating.
Reviewed on Sep. 19, 2005 by A Sunbeam
My boyfriend owns a bar, and I made this gumbo for his Mardi gras celebration this year, and... MORE
The reviewer gave this recipe 5 stars. This recipe averages a 0 star rating.
Reviewed on Feb. 14, 2004 by SPEARFISHER
I thought this recipe was awesome. Very spicy. I did add oysters to the mix tho. For someone... MORE
The reviewer gave this recipe 4 stars. This recipe averages a 0 star rating.
Reviewed on Jan. 5, 2003 by KMURD0425
I added chicken gizzards instead of the stew beef. The gumbo was everything I expected it to... MORE
The reviewer gave this recipe 5 stars. This recipe averages a 0 star rating.
Reviewed on Jan. 25, 2008 by DECAR48