Instant Pot Shrimp & Sausage Gumbo (HAPPY MARDI GRAS!)

Happy Mardi Gras, y'all!

Tree at New Orleans International Airport (MSY).

This year, I was able to make it down to Scott, LA for their parade.  This is always my favorite:  the floats aren't anything amazing like what you see in New Orleans, but my friends live on the parade route, and they throw a big shindig with lots of food and I get to see some of my favorite people on the planet.

Yes, that is a Minion Porta-John.

Robin wins for best catch--hula dancing dolphins with coconut bras.

And I got to meet this lil' cutie, my friend B's new baby!

As per usual, since I am no longer a resident of the great state of Louisiana, I have to work on Mardi Gras. In fact, I will be in training all day learning how to use our new accounting software.  HOWEVER, we will be taking a break over lunch to have the annual Mardi Gras Potluck (coordinated each year by yours truly, because I just can't give it up.)

Last year, I made a boudin king cake, before that it was bacon gouda grit fritters w/pepper jelly sauce, then it was king cake cupcakes, and before that it was another king cake (sans boudin).  This year, a coworker is picking up a king cake kringle from Supreme Bakery here in town, so I decided to make gumbo.  I've done gumbo several times here (see list at the bottom of this post for links), but I've never made it in my Instant Pot.  So I figured...why not?

INGREDIENTS: (makes about 8-10 two-cup servings) 
* Note: if cooking for a smaller group, you can halve this recipe...or you can freeze part of it. It freezes really well.

• 4 cups cooked brown rice (aka 2 cups uncooked rice, cooked)
• 1 lb small or medium shrimp, tails/shells removed
• 1 lb smoked sausage (andouille if you can find it), cut into 1/2 inch pieces 
• 1 tsp olive oil (as needed) 
• 1 onion, diced 
• 1 bell pepper, diced (I used both red & green since that’s what I had on hand) 
• 2 stalks of celery, diced 
• 1 cup water 
• 1 cup instant roux 
• 3 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable stock (or 2 cups regular + 1 cup water)
• 6 cups water 
• 2 cups chopped okra, strung* 
• 4 cloves garlic, minced 
• 2 bay leaves 
• 2 Tbsp parsley 
• 1 tsp basil 
• 1/2 tsp thyme 
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper 
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper 
• 1/2 tsp Cajun seasoning (or more to taste after cooking)

DIRECTIONS:

1) Cook the rice in your preferred method (I used the Instant Pot) and set aside.

2) Set the Instant Pot to Saute and cook the sausage (about 4 minutes). Once browned, remove the sausage and set aside in a medium bowl.

3) Put the okra in the pot and stir for about 3 minutes.  You'll see "strings" of slime coming off the okra--this is good, as cooking out the slime now will keep it from being slimy in the gumbo.  It will start to brown a bit as well, which is a good thing--adds flavor.  After the 3 minutes are up, remove the okra from the pot and set aside--you can put it in the same bowl as the sausage so you're not making extra dirty dishes for yourself.

4) Add the olive oil, onion, bell pepper, and celery to the pot and saute until softened and the onions start to go translucent (about 3-5 minutes).

5) Mix 1 cup water & instant roux together and then add to the pot, stirring until the roux thickens (just a minute or so).

 

6) Add the sausage, okra, rest of the water, chicken broth and spices to the pot and stir well--make sure nothing's sticking to the bottom of the pot.  Then lock the lid on, make sure the lid is set to "Seal", Press "Manual", and cook on "High" for 10 minutes.

7) Let the pot de-pressurize naturally (about 10 minutes), then open the lid and throw in the shrimp.  The residual heat from the gumbo will cook them without letting them get too tough & chewy.

Serve over rice (or with the rice mixed in, because my co-workers are a bunch of Yankees who aren't used to assembling their own gumbo bowls), with a side of potato salad and french bread.  

...and a side of red beans, jambalaya, veggies, Jimmy Johns, and king cake....  Because it's a potluck. And you start Keto tomorrow...so one last hurrah!!!

My Other Gumbo Recipes:
Chicken & Sausage Gumbo (made from scratch)
Pressure Cooker Gumbo
Gumbo Risotto
Duck & Sausage File Gumbo
Slow Cooker Gumbo

Chicken & Sausage Gumbo

So up to this point (yes, 10 years into this blog) I have only ever shared recipes for "shortcut" gumbos--i.e, gumbo using an instant roux.  Because honestly, that's what my life demands most of the time.  Real, true, made from scratch gumbo starts with a roux, and takes about 2-3 hours to make.  And when you're a working mom, that's a time commitment most of us don't have on a weekday.  And making a roux means standing by the stove, stirring for about 40-45 minutes, so if you've got a busy weekend, it can be hard to fit then as well.

BUT...I did it.  With the help of my friend Amy.

Amy & I met through a friend, who basically said, "hey--you used to live in Louisiana, and Amy's from Louisiana.  You should meet."  So we did, and thank goodness.  Amy is one of the sweetest people on the planet, full of Southern hospitality and a big, beautiful laugh.  Her family hails from Napoleonville (aka "up da bayou"), and Amy was gracious enough to let me help her make her mama's gumbo recipe.  (She was also gracious enough to let me borrow her camera, after I left mine at my house.)  

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup flour
1.5 cups chopped onion
1 cup diced celery
1 cup diced bell pepper
4 cups chicken stock
2 cups water
4 bay leaves
1 lb andouille or smoked sausage (Johnsonville New Orleans style sausage works well if you can't find andouille)
1 lb raw chicken, cubed
1 Tbsp cajun seasoning (or to taste)

To accompany:
cooked rice (white or brown, about 1/2-1 cup per person)
potato salad
French bread
green onions


DIRECTIONS:
First up--clear your schedule for about 2 hours.  Amy says her mama would always say, "if you need something from me you better ask now, because I'm gettin' ready to start the gumbo."

Step 1 - ROUX
Many recipes vary on ratios, but ours calls for a 1:1 ratio of oil to flour.  In a large cast iron pot, heat the oil over medium heat, until shiny but not smoking.  Then stir in the flour.  Some folks use a whisk, but depending on your whisk it can be really hard to get the corners of the pot.  So Amy recommends a flat bottomed wooden spoon.  There is such a thing as a "roux spoon", but really, any spoon or spatula with a flat edge will work (or a flat whisk would probably be perfect). (Note: if you're using a cast iron pot, don't use a metal spoon.) 

And most importantly: KEEP STIRRING.  YES. THE WHOLE TIME.  (Amy & I tag-teamed this stage.)

Set a timer, counting up from the time you add the flour.  This is just a reference, because in general, it's going to take about 40-45 minutes to get from white to the beautiful chocolate brown you want for gumbo base.  You'll go through stages:  blonde (which would be a perfect place to start for a alfredo or bechamel sauce), cafe au lait... 

Which is why it's handy to have a cup of coffee while cooking.

...peanut butter, and then finally to dark chocolate.  

Amy has this article in her recipe binder that makes a good reference (particularly the "bless your heart" on the last one).  

This was really helpful for me because I tend to get nervous and jump off around the "peanut butter stage"--which won't ruin your gumbo, but it also won't have the same depth of flavor you get from a chocolate roux.

Step 1a - Heat the other things
You're going to need hot water and hot chicken stock later.  These need to be hot or they'll cause the roux to break when you add them to the main pot.  So go ahead and get these going on your other burners so they're ready to rock when you are.

Step 1b - Cook Sausage
In a small skillet, while the roux is going, brown your sausage.  Once cooked, transfer it to a bowl to wait. 

Step 2 - Add Veggies
Amy had prepped all the veggies before I got there, so we piled them in together and dumped 'em all in once we hit our chocolate roux stage. 

These will need to soften with periodic stirring for about 10-12 minutes (so this is a good time to sit with a cup of coffee and flip through old issues of "Louisiana Cooking" or coffee table books with tasty sounding recipes).

Note:  Amy's recipe didn't call for okra, but you can add it if you like.  You would cook about 1 cup of sliced okra in a separate pan (called "stringing", it removes much of the sliminess from the okra), stirring frequently, for about 15 minutes. Though, Amy told me she's always been told not to use okra if you're cooking in cast iron because the okra will turn black.  So...there you go. You've been warned.

Step 3 - Add Sausage (okra if using), Chicken Stock, Hot Water, and Bay Leaves
So ideally, here you want your main pot, water, and chicken stock to be as close to the same temp as possible.  If your roux is hot and you add a bunch of cold liquid, the roux will break.  Conversely, if your roux mixture is starting to cool down and you add stuff that's too hot your roux will also break (but should come back together as it simmers).

Once that's all in the pot, simmer for about 30 min - 1 hour.

Step 4 - Add Chicken & Cajun Seasoning
Seems pretty self-explanatory.

Then cover and simmer for about 2 hours, stirring occasionally.  You can let it simmer longer than this--the flavors will only get more rich and delicious.

Serve with rice, green onions, potato salad, sweet tea, and French bread...and plenty of good friends!

The beautiful Amy!

Her mama's recipe is even kiddo-approved!

Slow Cooker Shrimp & Sausage Gumbo

I'm starting to realize I never actually make gumbo the traditional way--starting with a roux, getting to that perfect golden color, then adding in all my ingredients and slow simmering to perfection... Maybe that's because I have a wee one who has recently become mobile...or just because I'm a little lazy sometimes.  Nope...let's blame the baby.

I whipped this up for my church group one afternoon--I did all the prep work the night before, and threw the ingredients into the crock and refrigerated overnight, then the next morning before church I put the crock into the crockpot & set to High.  By the time our group met up for lunch it was ready to go!  It was a big hit--by the time they were through with it, there was nothing left to take home.

This worked really well for a big group--we brought the gumbo, rice, and pickled okra (to garnish).  Another person brought potato salad (a German-Louisianian tradition), another brought salad, bread, dessert, etc.  It was a fabulous meal with good friends (particularly when you have friends that will hold your baby while you eat).

INGREDIENTS: (makes 8-10 servings)
1 lb andouille or smoked sausage (Johnsonville's New Orleans Style works well if you can't get andouille links)
2 cups sliced pickled okra (I usually use fresh or frozen, but we had a GIANT jar of pickled okra that needed to be used up.  It worked really well in this recipe.)
1 medium onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp Cajun seasoning
(1) 14 oz can of diced fire-roasted tomatoes, undrained
1 cup dry roux
6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1-2 tsp Tabasco sauce
1 lb medium shrimp, raw, peeled and tails removed
2 green onions, sliced
4-5 cups cooked rice (about 1/2 cup per serving)
pickled okra to garnish

DIRECTIONS:
Place sliced sausage, okra, onion, bell pepper, celery, garlic, Cajun seasoning, tomatoes, dry roux, and chicken broth in the Crockpot & stir.  Cook on High for 4 hours, or Low for 6-8 hours.  

Throw the Worcestershire, Tabasco, shrimp and green onions in for the last half hour of cooking. You can add additional hot sauce or Cajun seasoning at this time as well, to your taste preference.

Serve with rice, potato salad, and pickled okra for garnish, along with a slice of french bread to sop up all the broth.

My Other Gumbo Recipes:
Pressure Cooker Gumbo
Gumbo Risotto
Duck & Sausage File Gumbo

Shrimp & Andouille Jambalaya Risotto

A couple years ago I posted about a really delicious gumbo risotto recipe that I tested out & fell in love with.  This time, I decided to try it with jambalaya instead.  I prefer a "cajun-style" jambalaya (read: no tomatoes) that gets most of its flavor from the roux and the meat--however, with a risotto, you're typically not making a roux beforehand.  Not to fear--dry roux powder is here!  I love this stuff & use it frequently--it's a pantry staple at our house, even though I have to buy it while I'm down in Louisiana.  If you can find it in your supermarket, I highly recommend picking some up...if you can't put it at the top of your souvenir list next time you're near the Gulf. (Their brown gravy mix is also a staple at our house.)

You could easily make this as a chicken & sausage risotto instead, but I had shrimp onhand so that's what I went with.

SIDENOTE: In retrospect, I'm not sure why I decided to make a risotto, which requires hovering over a pot for about 30-45 minutes, while 39 weeks preggo.  My feet were sore & swollen by the time we were ready to eat.  The next time I make this I will definitely make sure to NOT have a bun in the oven.  Risotto requires some maintenance to make sure it doesn't burn, but the end result is creamy & delicious & totally worth it.  Between the Cajun seasoning & the jalapeno, ours had a perfect amount of heat for my taste, but if you prefer milder flavors, you can omit the jalapeno--or add a second one if you like it super-spicy.

INGREDIENTS: (makes 6-8 servings)
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 links of andouille sausage (approx 1/4 lb each), or 4 links of Johnsonville New Orleans Andouille Style smoked sausage (this is what most folks can easily find at their grocers and I think it tastes great--and no, that's not a paid endorsement.)
1 onion, diced
1 bell pepper, diced
1 jalapeno, seeded & diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1-2 Tbsp minced garlic
1 Tbsp dry roux powder
1 Tbsp Cajun seasoning of your choice (you already know my personal favorite)
3 Tbsp butter (we use Smart Balance spread)
2.5 cups arborio rice
30 oz beef stock (or 4 beef bouillon cubes + 32 oz of water)- low sodium if possible
1 cup water, if needed (you can alternately use dry white wine if you like)
2 green onions, sliced, plus 1 more for garnish
1/2 lb medium shrimp, peeled & tails removed
black pepper & parsley, to taste

DIRECTIONS:
In a large dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat.  Once up to temp, add the sausage, vegetables, garlic, roux powder, and cajun seasoning.  Once the veggies begin to soften and caramelize, add the butter and stir until melted.

Lower the heat to medium-low and add the rice, stirring well.  Let the rice "toast" for about 3 minutes while stirring. Now begin adding the beef broth--just enough at a time to keep the consistency somewhat liquid and stirrable.  As the mixture thickens & absorbs the broth, add more.  Stir frequently and repeat the addition of broth to keep it from burning--approximately 1/2 cup at a time.

When you add the last of the broth, also add the 2 green onions and the shrimp, since these require much less time to fully cook.

When you've used up the broth, taste the rice.  If it's still crunchy, you can start adding some of the water and cook a little bit longer.  Risotto should generally be slightly al dente like pasta, but if you overcook it it will get a bit gummy.  However, much like pasta, this should be done to your taste.  Now is also a good time to check for seasoning & see if you need to add pepper, additional cajun seasoning, etc.

Once the rice is done to your taste, it's ready to serve!  Final consistency should hold together when scooped into a bowl and spread out slightly, but not as thick as say, mashed potatoes.  Top with the remaining green onions & serve!

If you have leftovers, this will thicken in the fridge, so you'll want to add a bit of water before reheating so it's not a solid mass.

NutriFacts: (for 6 servings)

• Calories534.0
• Total Fat21.9 g
• Saturated Fat7.0 g
• Polyunsaturated Fat2.1 g
• Monounsaturated Fat3.2 g
• Cholesterol107.0 mg
• Sodium1,653.0 mg
• Potassium151.5 mg
• Total Carbohydrate67.3 g
• Dietary Fiber1.0 g
• Sugars0.7 g
• Protein19.3 g

Andouille Biscuits & Gravy

So, I've shared our recipe for homemade biscuits & sawmill (aka white) gravy here before, but the other day we made a really fun (and DELICIOUS) spin on it:

We subbed out the traditional pork sausage for andouille.  Our local meat market has house-made andouille sausage that's pretty on par flavor-wise to what you can find down south.

Now, you won't get quite as much fat drippings from the andouille as you would with pork sausage, but that's okay since we typically discard about 2/3 of the grease when we make it with pork, so less mess/waste.

This go-round we used canned biscuits, but please feel free to make homemade if you have the time. (NOTE: I had a version of this at Surrey's Cafe in New Orleans recently that was made with whole wheat biscuits, if you want to health things up a bit.  ...I also tried their famous Banana's Foster French Toast (recipe behind the link) during this same visit, which was most definitely NOT healthy, but freakin' DEVINE.  Highly recommend.)

*drools* Err...wait...sorry, got distracted.  Back to the gravy.

INGREDIENTS (Gravy):

• 1/2 lb andouille sausage (this is about 1 large link from our butcher--NOTE: you need the raw andouille, not a fully cooked sausage like Johnsonville)
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1/4-1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cups skim milk (more or less to desired thickness)

DIRECTIONS:

Cook the sausage in a large pan with some salt & pepper to taste. 

Once browned, add the flour & stir. You want enough flour so that it’s still runny in the pan—if it gets clumpy, add more grease to thin it out (you can use bacon grease). 

Mix for 1-2 minutes over medium heat until it becomes a dark brown (but not burnt). But don’t overdo it-- Remember that the roux you’re creating will absorb the milk, so the more roux you make, the more milk you’re going to have to add to turn it into a good gravy. So if you’re not wanting to eat gravy on everything for the next week, err on the side of less. 

Then add milk and continue stirring, about 2-3 minutes. Make sure to scrape the edges of the pan to keep everything well combined. At this point, you can add more milk if you need to thin things out a bit, and you can season with more salt & pepper to taste. Remove from heat when you’ve reached the desired consistency, otherwise it will continue to thicken. 

Spoon onto your biscuits, and chow down. Makes about 3-4 cups of gravy. Nutritional info & servings will vary depending on how heavy-handed you are with your gravy-to-biscuit ratio.

NutriFacts: (assumes 4 servings of about 3/4 cup each)

Calories		229.9
Total Fat		9.2 g
	Saturated Fat	3.1 g
	Polyunsaturated Fat	0.0 g
	Monounsaturated Fat	0.1 g
Cholesterol		52.5 mg
Sodium		531.7 mg
Potassium		199.4 mg
Total Carbohydrate		13.1 g
	Dietary Fiber	0.2 g
	Sugars	6.3 g
Protein		14.0 g

Guest Post: Primo’s Red Beans & Fries

Time for another guest post from my cousin Primo, straight from his pad in NOLA!  Seemed perfect to post on a Monday!

~~~

It’s Monday and that means it’s red beans & rice day down here in New Orleans. In the 19th century, Monday was laundry day in the city. Without washing machines, the women of the house had to wash all of the household’s laundry painstakingly by hand, leaving little time for cooking.  So dinner had to be something that could cook without being fussed over.
Enter the red kidney bean, brought to New Orleans by those fleeing Haiti’s slave rebellion. The beans needed to soak overnight before cooking. After soaking and draining them, housewives simply set the beans on the stove with fresh water to boil until tender, and then added a delicious helping of sautéed “trinity”– the Cajun/Creole cooking base of diced onions, celery and bell peppers.  This would typically also be combined with leftover ham from Sunday’s big family dinner.
While I love red beans and rice, I wanted to mix things up a bit and put a small twist on a local staple. While Monday is ‘red beans and rice day’ down here, it’s Monday Night Football for  the rest of the country. Football and finger foods go together like, well, red beans and rice. Thus, red beans and FRIES were born.

(FeauxNote: if you’ve made up a big batch of red beans & have some leftovers, this is a great way to use them up.)
INGREDIENTS:
Frozen waffle fries (or if you have a mandoline, you can make your own)
1 can Blue Runner red beans
1 lb smoked sausage (traditionally andouille or tasso, but use what you like best)
1/2 – 1 cup of trinity (diced bell pepper, celery & onion)
Green onions for garnish
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat your oven to 400F and when at temp, throw in your French fries (waffle fries hold up best for our purposes; Alexia makes some seasoned waffle fries, and Great Value sells a generic for about $2.00).

While I have the luxury of a modern washing machine, I decided to cheat and use a can of Blue Runner creamed red beans for experimentation purposes (and because I felt lazy). (FeauxNote: I can get Blue Runner at Wal-Mart in Missouri, but if you can’t find them, you can try this Crockpot recipe.)

While the beans heat up on the stovetop, dice a link or two of your favorite sausage—andouille in my case (FeauxNote: Johnsonville makes a New Orleans style smoked sausage if you can’t find real andouille near you) and drop the sausage in a medium skillet or saucepan to begin heating up and releasing that delicious fat. Enter your “trinity”. Again, I cheated and bought a container of pre-chopped veggies.

Add as much or as little to taste. Sauté those fine ingredients together until your onions become translucent. At this point, your peppers and celery will retain their crunch for a good texture contrast. Remove from heat.
Place a good base layer of your fries on a plate (platter if serving family style). Add a layer of the trinity/sausage. Heap your creamed red beans on top (FeauxNote: I added the Blue Runner beans to the pot and mixed it all together, rather than keeping them separate & layering—still tastes awesome). Lastly, garnish with some freshly diced green onions from your window garden…

…add a dash (or 5) of hot sauce, and serve.

Oh, and watch out for aliens posing as butternut squash. (Compliments of Feaux’s Hubs.)

Since the serving size on this varies (especially if you’re sharing with a group), I won’t attempt a NutriFacts sheet, but just use your brain—stop when you’re full.

Hey….I didn’t say it would EASY.  But just TRY to have some restraint.

Have a great week, folks!

Chicken & Sausage Jambalaya: Cookoff Worthy Contender?

Last weekend the Hubs & I went to the Sertoma Cajun Cookoff here in Springfield.  My awesome friend Tara got us two free tickets and I was just itching to see what was there.  I’ve thought about entering, but I wanted to check out my potential competition first.

I’m used the the Sertoma Club’s annual Chili Cookoff, which is MUCH bigger with hundreds of booths.  So I was surprised to see only about 20 booths at the Cajun Cookoff. All the same, there was a wide variety of choices, from Bananas Foster Crepes to “Cajun Mac & Cheese” to tiny crawfish pies, gumbo, jambalaya…and a few of those “errrrr” entries where they make something that’s halfway between gumbo & jambalaya and you’re NOT really sure which they were aiming for.
    
Clockwise from Top Left: Mini Crawfish Pie (yum); little-too-buttery shrimp & lobster…something (“gumbo” is my assumption, but y’all know how I feel about tomato-based gumbo); burnt roux gumbo (remember kids: if you’re making a roux from scratch, aim for the color of peanut butter, not coffee); a REALLY tasty chicken gumbo topped with fried okra; and too-blonde roux plus crunchy-rice chicken & sausage jambalaya…that for some reason also smelled like weed.  For reals.
It got me wondering:  If I enter, WHAT would  I enter?  There were no etouffees…but then again, I don’t have a “go to” etouffee recipe, and I don’t really want to deal with a full day of people asking me what “E-toofy” is.  There were only a few gumbos—but that chicken gumbo up there is a CONTENDER, I don’t think my recipe would beat it.  But I’m pretty sure I could beat the crunchy rice jambalaya…because after all, I have John Folse & his bible on my side.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 lb boneless skinless chicken, cubed
• 1 tsp Cajun seasoning
• 1 lb sliced andouille sausage
• 1 Tbsp dry roux (or liquid roux) - optional
• 1/8 cup olive oil
• 1 cup onions, diced
• 1 cup celery, diced
• 1/8 cup minced garlic
• 3.5 cups chicken stock/broth
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms
• 1/2 cup sliced green onions
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley
• salt & pepper to taste
• hot sauce, to taste
• 2 cups uncooked instant brown rice

DIRECTIONS:
In a large (5-6 qt) pot [cast iron, if you have it], brown your chicken in the olive oil.  Then stir in the andouille, reduce heat to medium, and cook for 10-15 minutes.

On top of that, add the dry roux, onions, celery, bell pepper & garlic.  Continue cooking until the veggies are all well caramelized.  Then add the chicken stock/broth/whatever, bring to a boil, the reduce to simmer for 15 minutes.  Now add the mushrooms, green onions, parsley, and stir well, and season to taste w/ S&P and hot sauce. 

Then add the brown rice, bring to a rolling boil, and then reduce heat to low, cover, and let cook for 15 minutes or until the rice is done.
Once everything’s cooked, remove from heat, stir and then re-cover to keep the steam in the pot until time to serve. Check flavors & season again to taste.

Makes about 8 servings. 

NutriFacts:
Calories 371.3
  Total Fat 17.2 g
  Saturated Fat 5.5 g
  Polyunsaturated Fat 0.3 g
  Monounsaturated Fat 0.4 g
  Cholesterol 54.4 mg
  Sodium 1,106.6 mg
  Potassium 289.4 mg
  Total Carbohydrate 36.8 g
  Dietary Fiber 3.4 g
  Sugars 1.8 g
  Protein 18.6 g