Campfire Gumbo

My favorite foods are ones that provide a complex flavor profile. Much like Thai, with it’s mixture of spice, sweet & sour, Gumbo provide a multi-faceted flavor profile. When done right it is a beautiful balance between umami and spicy that is delivered via rich broth. The richness comes from the roux. Getting the roux right is crucial to the success of the dish. 

  • 1 lb of shrimp, deveined with peels on

  • 1 lb of andouille sausage

  • 1 pack, about 6 total, boneless skinless chick thighs

  • 2 quarts of chicken stock

  • 1 stick of butter

  • 2 tbsp of grapeseed oil

  • 1 cup of flour

  • 2 bell peppers - diced

  • 2 onions - diced

  • 4 large stalks of celery -diced

  • 4 cloves of garlic - minced

  • 12 oz of domestic beer

  • 2-3 tablespoons Meat Church Holy Voodoo

  • 1 tbsp of black pepper

  • 1 tbsp of dried thyme

  • 1 tbsp of red pepper flakes

  • 2 tbsp of worchestershire sauce

  • 3 bay leaves

  • Salt to taste

  • Parsley and green onions for serving

  • Cooked Rice

Separate the shrimp and the peels. Bring 1 quart of stock to a simmer and add in the shrimp peels. Slice the andouille sausage in to ¼ inch slices and brown in a cast iron dutch oven over medium high heat. Remove the sausage and try not to eat it all during the rest of the cook. Lower the temp to medium. Add a stick of butter and the grapeseed oil to the rendered sausage fat. When butter is melted, add the flour about a tbsp at a time while constantly stirring. Once all the flour is added, continue to stir over medium heat until the roux is a dark reddish brown. This could take around 20 minutes or so and it is essential that you keep stirring so as not to burn the roux. 

 Once the roux is the right color, add the peppers, onions and celery and continue to stir for around 5 minutes. Add the garlic and continue to stir for another 2 minutes. Add the beer, the remaining quart of chicken stock and strain the shrimp infused stock through a colander into the mixture. Bring to a simmer.

Add the chicken thighs and season with the Holy Voodoo, black pepper, red pepper flakes, thyme, bay leaves and salt. Add the worchestershire sauce. Cover and let simmer for about 30 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and shredable. Shred the chicken thighs using 2 forks. Add the browned sausage and shrimp. Continue to cook for a few minutes until the shrimp is cooked through. Taste and add salt as needed.

Serve in a bowl over a ¼ cup of rice. Top with fresh parsley and chopped green onions. 

Jared Rawlinson