Shrimp And Sausage Gumbo (Cooks Illustrated)

• doses: 6-8 people
• tempo ativo: 30 minutes
• tempo total: 2 hours

Ingredientes

1¹⁄2 pounds small shrimp (51 to 60 per pound), pe

eled and deveined; shells reserved

3¹⁄2 cups ice water

1 (8-ounce) bottle clam juice

¹⁄2 cup vegetable oil

¹⁄2 cup all-purpose flour

2 onions, chopped fine

1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and chop

ped fine

1 celery rib, chopped fine

6 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon dried thyme

Salt and pepper

Cayenne pepper

2 bay leaves

1 pound smoked sausage, such as andouille or kielbasa, sliced ¹⁄4 inch thick

¹⁄2 cup minced fresh parsley leaves

4 scallions, sliced thin

Instruções

1. Bring reserved shrimp shells and 4¹⁄2 cups water to boil in stockpot or large saucepan over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 20 minutes. Strain stock and add ice water and clam juice (you should have about 8 cups of tepid stock, 100 to 110 degrees); discard shells. Set stock aside.

2. Heat oil in Dutch oven or large saucepan over medium-high heat until it registers 200 degrees on instant-read thermometer, 1¹⁄2 to 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and gradually stir in flour with wooden spatula or spoon, making sure to work out any lumps that may form. Continue stirring constantly, reaching into corners of pan, until mixture has toasty aroma and is deep reddish brown, about 20 minutes. (Roux will thin as it cooks; if it begins to smoke, remove pan from heat and stir roux constantly to cool slightly.)

3. Add onions, bell pepper, celery, garlic, thyme, 1 teaspoon salt, and ¹⁄4 teaspoon cayenne to roux and cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables soften, 8 to 10 minutes. Add 4 cups reserved stock in slow, steady stream while stirring vigorously. Stir in remaining 4 cups stock. Increase heat to high and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, skim foam from the surface with wide spoon, add bay leaves, and simmer, uncovered, about 30 minutes, skimming foam as it rises to surface. (Mixture can be covered and set aside for several hours or refrigerated up to 2 days. Reheat when ready to proceed.)

4. Stir in sausage and continue simmering to blend flavors, about 30 minutes. Stir in shrimp and simmer until cooked through, about 5 minutes. Off heat, stir in parsley and scallions and season with salt, pepper, and cayenne to taste. Discard bay leaves and serve immediately.

SHRIMP AND SAUSAGE GUMBO WITH OKRA

Fresh okra may be used in place of frozen, though it tends to be more slippery, a quality that diminishes with increased cooking. Substitute an equal amount of fresh okra for frozen; trim the caps, slice the pods ¹⁄4 inch thick, and increase the sautéing time with the onions, bell pepper, and celery to 10 to 15 minutes.

Add 10 ounces thawed frozen cut okra to roux along with onions, bell pepper, and celery.

SHRIMP AND SAUSAGE GUMBO WITH FILÉ

Add 1¹⁄2 teaspoons filé powder along with parsley and scallions in step 4 after gumbo has been removed from heat. Let rest until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Adjust seasonings and serve.

Notas

Why this recipe works

With shrimp, sausage, and vegetables in a deeply flavored, rich brown sauce with a touch of heat, gumbo is a unique one-pot meal. We wanted a foolproof, streamlined technique for gumbo that featured a thick, smooth sauce with lots of well-seasoned vegetables, meat, and shrimp. The basis of gumbo is the roux, which is flour cooked in fat. For a deep, dark roux in half the time, we heated the oil before adding the flour. We also added the roux to room-temperature shrimp stock (supplemented with clam juice) to prevent separating. Although tomatoes are traditional in gumbo, our tasters didn’t think they were necessary—but garlic was, and lots of it. Some cayenne pepper added the requisite heat. We also added spicy andouille sausage and tossed in the shrimp only during the last few minutes of cooking.

Making a dark roux can be dangerous, as the mixture reaches temperatures in excess of 400 degrees. Therefore, use a deep pot for cooking the roux and long-handled utensils for stirring it, and be careful not to splash it on yourself. One secret to smooth gumbo is adding shrimp stock that is neither too hot nor too cold to the roux. For a stock that is at the right temperature when the roux is done, start preparing it before you tend to the vegetables and other ingredients, strain it, and then give it a head start on cooling by immediately adding the ice water and clam juice. So that your constant stirring of the roux will not be interrupted, start the roux only after you’ve made the stock. Spicy andouille sausage is a Louisiana specialty that may not be available everywhere; kielbasa or any fully cooked smoked sausage makes a fine substitute. Gumbo is traditionally served over white rice.