Easy Shrimp & Sausage Gumbo

Few dishes are more comforting than a warm bowl of gumbo. Read on to learn how to make the best batch ever.

Don’t turn your back on the roux'
Every good gumbo starts with mixture of butter and flour called a roux. In this case, we’re cooking the roux until it has a golden color, which can take about 10 minutes. In this time, you should be stirring somewhat constantly. It’s very easy to burn a roux, and if you do then you have to start oveR.

Choose your shrimp wisely
You might be wondering why we call for shrimps with the tails on. Though it won’t make or break your gumbo, shrimp shells have SO much flavor, so we always prefer to keep them on. If eating tail-on shrimp is not your thing, don’t think twice about leaving them out. In terms of size, it doesn’t really matter how big your shrimp are, as long as you’re keeping a close eye on them as they cook. As soon as they turn opaque, they’re done. Overcooking shrimp is super easy, so it’s important to watch carefully so you don’t end up with chewy shrimp. And as always, make sure you're buying sustainably—The Monterey Bay Aquarium has an amazing guide that can walk you through purchasing shrimp ethically.

Andouille or bust
Some recipes that call for sausage will give you options. Subbing in a spicy Italian for a hot Italian sausage, or a chicken sausage for a pork sausage is totally fine. This is not the case with gumbo—you really need andouille. It provides a very specific flavor associated with gumbo, so try your hardest to find it.

If you can’t find andouille anywhere, there are ways to substitute the flavor. Start with ground pork, and mix in cajun spices. Since andouille is double smoked, try adding a little liquid smoke to the mix. We’d start small, 1/2 teaspoon should do it.