Disappointing. Any Cajun knows NEVER add file. It becomes stringy when heated. It is ONLY to be added on the rice before you add gumbo. This was very runny and thin. For 6c of water it is one cup of roux. In addition, the veggies are added TO the roux. This stops the cooking and adds flavor to the oil since you aren't using sausage.
Look further, this is not authentic or worth the expense. I was severely disappointed. Be warned. Waste of money.
I made this almost exactly as written and it was just as good as any gumbo I've had down south (and that's a lot). Only slight variation is I used the Seafood Gumbo Stock also featured on this site in place of the water. And no file on hand (or in the grocery store out here in Cali) so I substituted with crab boil. And I added some crab claw meat to the mix at the very end. So so delicious.
I thought I'd try someone else's recipe for gumbo but I'm gonna go back to mine. I knew I was making a mistake when I grabbed the worchestershire sauce. Yuk! I like it in some things but not gumbo. Also I use a pound of Andouie sausage which I like to render some of the fat out of and use it in the roux. I add the meat of a couple chicken thighs diced Cod instead of catfish. I like the way it holds together and absorbs the flavors. It's my "clean out the fridge" gumbo so I throw in some diced ham if I have it. The okra goes in early enough to break up and the shrimp dead last. For heaven's sake if you burn the roux start over. Any Cajun knows file gumbo is going to be thicker. It's supposed to be so it sticks better to rice.
There is a typo on first line of instructions. "Add flour to flour...."
very good recipe. I did add more seafood. Oysters shrimp and Tilipia instead of catfish.
I made this recipe the other week and loved it. However I didn't do EVERYTHING specified; using whatever meat I had on hand: shrimp sausage or chicken. And I have no idea what 'file' is and so didn't worry about that. It was great family loved it and I'm making it again tonight!
I followed the recipe but increased the seafood portions. The recipe came excellent.
Awesome gumbo! I changed it a little by eliminating fish and adding some slices of sausage and canned crabmeat along with the shrimp. I also used some beef bullion cubes to flavor and "kicked it up a notch" with more Cajun spices and Tabasco to taste. I didn't have file powder so left it out. Still awesome!
How do people give recipes five stars but change the ingredients or add extra? Five stars suggests PERFECT recipe and cooked as is without things like "this recipe was perfect but I added" five other things that wasn't in the recipe. Please stop with the misleading reviews. This recipe wouldn't have a 4.5 star if rated properly. Anyhoo... No chicken in gumbo? Wow. Just wow. I agree with the other poster to never add file. I grew up on gumbo and adding file is a huge no-no. We've always been taught to add our own per serving. Also the holy trinity should've been added to the flour. The very first sentence has a mistake. Add flour to flour?
