Uncle Dank's Gumbo

I gave this only three stars because while I enjoyed it... it didn't knock my socks off like other gumbos I've had in the past. Here are some things I'd like to note about this recipe: 1. This recipe has okra in it, which is actually considered a thickening agent. (Not just a vegetable.) File (Fee-lay) powder is supposed to be a replacement for okra in the off season. It isn't bad that this recipe has both... just something I thought I'd note. BTW I'm no expert on gumbo I just read this info on several websites while trying to find a recipe. 2. You can't really make the vegetables "golden brown" as the recipe states. This might be obvious to some, but I found it irritating. You just cook the veggies until they're soft, or when the onions are all translucent. 3. I prefer a darker roux but I'm not sure how to make it darker. Some of the other recipes call for 2 cups of beef broth, and only 4 of chicken. Maybe this makes the broth darker the way I liked it when I had it before. 3. Part of what I like about traditional gumbo is that the chicken is usually on the bone, and there are still tails on the shrimp... I recommend buying a big bag of wings and using that in the recipe instead of boneless thighs. (Which I assume is what the recipe wanted but didn't clarify.) Mini drumsticks would be good too. 4. If you're worried about not having enough fat for the roux... don't drain the sausage fat and just add a little more flour. It says 1/4 cup of flour, but you can just eyeball

6th line down: 1 lb okra... This is the real deal. It takes for-freakin'-ever to make, but it's worth it. Make a double batch if you've got a pot big enough. It won't last. YUMMMM!

My family and friends raved over this recipe. I also added fresh crab. Very easy to make. My friends and family called the next day asking for the recipe. I did not use the gumbo felit and it was just as good. Will make again real soon!!!

Instead of the spices, I added three tablespoons Zatarain's creole seasoning. Gave it just enough spice. It turned out fabulous! Definetly will make again.

This recipe was great. Everyone raved. My kids keep coming back for more! I added crab meat as well. Will definitely make again. Awesome!

Excellent!! I used smoked/spicy Polish sausage as my husband isn't overly fond of andouille sausage. Didn't have fresh herbs, so just used dried instead, worked fine. Fried three large chicken quarters with the skin on, this gave me plenty of grease with which to make my roux. Before adding the chicken to the pot I removed the skin and used my hands to tear it into chunks. Adding file powder at the end adds quite a bit of flavor, I would recommend using it, even though it is an optional ingredient. Thanks for this recipe, I'll be making it again.

This recipe was a nightmare for me. There wasn't enough fat to make the roux. I'm not experienced in making roux so my improvisation didn't work well either.

This was wonderful. I saved some time by using a premade roux. It was so easy to make and delisious. I will make many more times.

Would have given this recipe 5 stars, but you cant have gumbo without okra!

I have never seen a light colored gumbo before, but this was one of the best I have ever made. I added crabmeat for taste.

For those of you that think okra is just a thickening agent, look up the word "gumbo" in a dictionary and you will find it means "okra" in the first 2 listings. If you don't have okra in gumbo, all you have is a soup, not real gumbo. Also the Creole file' is added at the last. It provides a delicate flavor and is the thickening agent. This receipe makes great GUMBO and let the okra naysayers have their SOUP!!!

Was good but needs seasoning. I prefer Merwin's Shrimp Gumobo (also on this site). Merwin's needs more seasoning as well but I liked his method of throwing the chicken in the pot, bones and all. I got more chicken off the bone that way. The two recipes taste nearly the same, I just prefer Merwin's method.

This is the best!It looks like alot of work but it goes together easily. I used cooked and peeled shrimp, omitted the file powder and chicken, but used fresh frozen cod cut into chunks. It was delicious even before adding the seafood (just in case your tribe doesn't like fishies). Also, you need to saute the vegies in a couple of batches, it just does't fit all at once.

This has become my go-to gumbo recipe.

Simply amazing! I am from New Orleans and this is the closest I've gotten to a true gumbo! I couldnt get the roux as dark as I wanted but it was still delicious! I added a bay leaf and some creole seasoning! Well done.

Thanks mrboejangles for this recipe. I made this last night for my family and they loved it. I hate when people do this BUT did add an ingrediant - and that was some crab boil seasoning. This recipe was great flavorful and filling. I will add this to my archives and make again soon. Happy eating!!!

This stuff is so fabulously amazingly AWESOME!! My husband won't eat shrimp, so I have to hide seafood in it - I chop up a tuna steak the same size as the diced chicken, he doesn't even know it's in there. One absolute must - you MUST use real andouille, which outside of New Orleans isn't easy to find. I order it online, so it makes this a pretty pricey dish to prepare - but totally worth it!

My husband and all his friends are from the south, and we are military so they all miss home cooked food. I was nervous, I've never made gumbo before. needless to say they loved this! I made it for a cookout, along with fried fish, ribs, burgers, baked beans, baked mac & cheese, and home-made cornbread! Thanks for a wonderful recipe!

I made this gumbo last night and I must say it was delicious. I added crab meat and I got so many compliments from my coworker! Family loved it too!

we really enjoyed this gumbo

I used this recipe to make my very first Gumbo and I must say it is spectacular! Friends and family gobbled it up. This recipe has earned a spot in regular rotation at my house. Super yummy!

Added a dash of my special hot sauce from Gladys' Cafe in St. Thomas and this recipe was AWESOME!! Made it as 6 servings instead of 10. Have to pay attention since the written directions are still for 10 servings. Almost got me once, but caught myself just in time. Don't want a watery gumbo!! Added both okra and file and it was just fine.

this reminds me of my moms i dont use okra and i use hillshire farm smoked sausage and tony chacheres creole seasoning

Making the roux was time-consuming, but was very tasty.

if anyone is from Louisiana and you're looking for some "authentic" gumbo, THIS IS IT! I was raised on gumbo, jambalaya and boudain...when I made this, Lawd, it reminded me of home! Gumbo is ambitious and eveybody can't make it. Try this recipe...you'll surprise yourself and your family too!

Super-tasty recipe. My husband is allergic to chicken, so I replaced the chicken thighs with boneless country-style ribs, and the broth with vegetable bullion. Next time I'll try with the suggestion of fresh crab meat!

Best Gumbo I've ever made! I made a few changes, of course - omitted the celery (Husband hates it); omitted the parsley (I hate it), and used dried thyme; and soaked the sliced okra in milk to prevent the sliminess. It was already pretty thick, so I added just a tiny pinch of file powder. Very tasty. Thanks!

This is a great recipe the only changes I made was to add crab and 2Tbls butter to make roux keep the fire low and it will get brown in the 30 min. Also cook veg until they are soft not brown.

I have wanted to try gumbo since our trip to New Orleans. This was my first try and it was definitely worth the time and effort. The roux worked out very well despite the negative comments of some, nice deep brown and tons of flavor with the 30 minute stir. I also threw in some small scallops. My only change for next time would be a bit more spice, it wasn't quite spicy enough. But a great recipe.

This is the real deal. My first time for makeing "gumbo". Wish me luck. Luck Dallas TX

This is a great recipe to use as a base and easy to change up. I made it using mainly Fletchers meats for a Seattle Seahawks Tailgate and got tons of compliments. I cut open brats and used the insides instead of sausage. I also added bacon. I made the roux out of the grease from the brat meat and bacon. However, I ran out of time to brown the roux as much as I would have liked, but it still tased great. I then added cut up Doubble Smoked Sausages & Hot Link Sausages, the meat from a rotisary chicken & shrimp. There was just enough kick to satisfy everyone who ate it. If you love spice, you can always add more. This is a keeper and don't be afraid to mix up the meats.

awesome. made it true to recipe with the addition of crushed red pepper. kids ate it up! definitely will make a again.

This was a good recipe, I changed it up a little. I made my own stock, Instead of all shrimp I used a seafood mix. It came out a little more fishy than I liked but it was almost gone at the end of dinner so everyone else liked it. I saved some of the leftover broth and made some incredible leftovers with it. Oh and I took out the Okra and added more file.

This was the first gumbo recipe I ever tried to make and it's been my go-to recipe ever since I discovered it in 2006. The resulting stew is rich, thick, complex and absolutely delicious. I've made it for family functions and potlucks and it's always been a hit. I've made a few alterations over the years that work out well for me. The major change is I sautee the vegetables and meats in steps 1 and 2 in a separate pan and make the roux in the stock pot. Once the roux is made and the water and veg are heating to a boil I dab the excess oil from the bottom of the pan, crank the heat up and deglaze with a mixture of 1/4 cup broth and 1/4 cup wine or sherry, using a fork to scrape off the little browned bits on the bottom of the pan and stirring it around to leech out the flavor. Then I pour it through a sieve into the stock pot. I find this adds just a little bit more complexity to the flavor of the final product.

Very good taste! Made a few modifications, but other than that it was great.

Very tasty. I used the dark meat from the Easter turkey and used the turkey bones to make a rich stock. I used a good quality spicy smoked sausage. I didn't feel like deveining the cleaning all those shrimp, so I left them out, but I'm sure they would be a delicious addition. Also, I left out the okra. My Louisiana born father was pretty skeptical of my adjustments to the recipe, but I figure gumbo is one of those one-pot dishes where you just use what you have on hand, right? It turned out great.

I have tried many a pot of Gumbo, but this is the only one I will eat! I have made this recipe several times, today for a pot luck. It was rated "Pot Lickin' Good" by all. The only thing I will change next time is to decrease the oil to brown the chicken and make the roux. In fact, next time I may try either baking or making the roux in the microwave. Other than that, I wouldn't change a thing! Thanks for a delicious recipe!

I'll give this 4 stars because I've never had gumbo before. Somehow I think there should be tomatoes and corn in here, but like I said I wouldn't know. However, this is an excellent recipe everyone who eats this stew loves it. Took it to the office and almost was beat up by a co-worker who wanted my lunch. For the sausage I have to substitute chorizo which I guess is okay since its a hard sausage, hopefully one day I will get authentic. I also put the shrimp in at the end and cut the fire off since overcooked shrimp tastes like...

I've made this a couple times now and here's what I change: I add a package of bacon, omit the shrimp, and keep all of the meat's grease and oil, which is about a quarter extra cup of oil as well as flour you'll have to add. It'll give you more roux but it'll also be much richer and darker and give the whole gumbo a ton more flavor. I also add quadruple the hot sauce and add it a step before so it makes it's rounds through the whole gumbo more. Make this regularly

This Is an winner for my family.Its An keeper in the family.Thanks

This was my first time using this recipe and I thought it turned out well. I added crab to mine and a little creole seasoning

We found this recipe to be very bland. No amount of heat can improve flavour and this recipe lacks flavour. I used mild smoked sausage, Okra unfortunately wasn't available anywhere so I omitted that too. Otherwise I followed the directions. I doubt Okra would improve this enough to try it again.

First time ever trying to make Gumbo and I was surprised by the outcome! I was worried by the light color, but when we began eating the color didn't matter.

This is a nice way of a simple gumbo needed quick in a hurry! Flavor is wonderful. I added OLD SPICE from McCormicks seasonings. A recipe to save.

I had to add quite a bit more salt to this recipe, and then it was very tasty. I think some crab meat would have made it much better. Also, I had trouble getting the roux to darken enough. After 45 minutes I just continued with the rest of the recipe even though the roux was still very light brown. Using the Andouille sausage really makes a difference in the flavor.

I loved this recipe. Making the roux was time-consuming, but very worth it. I might add more vegetables next time.

The darkness of the roux comes from cooking the flour and oil long enough. It takes a good long time to get that "copper penny" color, and to cook the flour taste out of the roux so don't rush it... Still, with all the added liquid in this recipe it lightens up quite a bit, even though I replaced the water with beef stock to up the flavor. I was taught in culinary school to never use okra and file together, because they are both thickening agents, but I love them both and from what I understand- the word "gumbo" is derived from the west African word for okra so I consider it necessary (the file-made from ground sassafras leaves- just adds a great flavor IMO- and really thickens it up at the last minute if you find it too liguidy-I love mine thick). For those new to okra: it gets a bit "snotty" when it's first cooking, but the sliminess will cook out of it if you keep going. I always use beef and chicken stock, rather than broth, for richer flavor, and did so in this recipe- combined beef and chicken stock gives much more flavor than just one or the other. Another thing I learned about cooking shrimp in culinary school: they should be "c" shaped when they are cooked through; "o" shaped shrimp are over cooked- mine went a minute too long. This is why it is important to add them at the end to avoid overcooking, 20 minutes is way too long! For great andouille sausage it really needs to be mail ordered-supermarket brands are horrible. Ice cream scoop for rice is perfect.

I made this a quite a few times and I love it. The only addition that I make is add various peppers to add flavor and spice.

Followed recipe exactly. This is a family favorite, but takes long enough that I only make it for special occasions. Totally worth the effort though, and even better the second day!

very good don't really need to cook roux so long we added fresh garden tomatoes about five med., a serrano and aneheim pepper15 min before adding shrimp also really good.

I didn't use chicken, instead I used crab, clams, catfish, sausage and medium shrimp with shell and head on(for broth only). plus I recommend using Creole seasonings

ok, my gumbo came out great! I did tweek it a little to my taste.I did not use okra because my family does not like it. so I added fresh tomato's and 1large can of diced tomatoes. I used my food processor for the onion, garlic, and green bell pepper. I used chicken thighs but I cleaned the fat off of them. I also put fresh bay leaves and used Creole seasoning to taste. My roux came out great. in order for it to darken you must let the flour keep browning but you must make sure the oil is hot. It might take the full 30 min. to get the color right. after I made my roux I put my chicken broth. i prefer to use caldo. i added the chicken and sausage and then at the end the shrimp and crab. oh and the file at the end... it was great!

I substituted duck for the chicken. I did not use file powder. It’s delicious and a family favorite!

I realize the long tried and true all-day cooking method for a rux is a southern tradition, but browning the flour and then adding the oil will cut your cooking time by 90%. Other adjustments: I also added 1 tbsp corn starch mixed with 2 tbsp of water to the final creation- it helped it to thicken and gloss. I also added cooked shrimp last to minimize shrinking. Bona petite!

This was delicious! The only additions I made were about half a can of tomato paste, a shot of Kitchen Bouquet and some Italian seasoning. I cooked on the stove (except for the shrimp) and then added it to the crock pot to simmer for 3 hours. About 40 minutes before serving, I added the shrimp and kept checking on it to make sure they didn't get overcooked.

Added king crab, snow crab, smoked oysters, shrimp, scallops, 2 types of andouille, and smoked sausage

I made this for some friends that had never eaten Gumbo before. It was a hit!! I used home made Cajun seasoning to spice it up more and everyone loved it.

this is very good gumbo.

Passable gumbo recipe, but too thin and lacks flavor

Made this for the first time but modified it using freshly made chicken stock and using a homemade Cajun spice on the chicken. It was great! I couldn't find file powder but hope to source some for next time.

First cooking this and turned out great!!! Did not add the shrimp only because my sister is allergic...next I will add shrimp if I am only cooking at my house...Love it...a must try recipe...

Sorry about one star - I was actually trying to rate different recipe the did not have file, andouille sausage or okra in it. This one has all the right ingredients!

Great recipe! Taste wonderful!

I had plenty of time to play in the kitchen so thought I'd try making gumbo. I made an excellent choice! This has just the right amount of heat and lots of flavor. I was patient while making the rue and I believe that is key. Delicious!

Can't give it 5 stars because I didn't follow directions to the letter or have all the ingredients but it led me down the right path. I added squid rings and tentacles because the kids love them. Did not use the File powder but use an olive oil roux and all pan juices went into the broth. Served over white rice, success!

Now this is more like the Gumbo my grandmother made. If you aren't patient enough to make the roux, don't even try it. If you don't have enough fat, add some oil. Okra is not optional if you call it Gumbo. That's what okra is. My Aunts put in a can of dice tomato as well. I like it either way.

Fantastic gumbo :)

This came out sooooo very good but I probably would only make it a couple times per year since it takes so long.

This was pretty good. I think I need to improve my technique though - my roux wasn't as dark as I think it coulda been but I was afraid of burning it.

This recipe was fantastic. Didn't have any shrimp so left that out and it still was delicious. Gumbo I had in the past always had tomatoes so I added a tin of crushed tomatoes to it and added a little less water. Spice level was not as spicy as I wanted but my wife found it acceptable, good thing for hot sauce.

I've used this recipe four or fives times now. I think it's wonderful! It reminds me of summertime in Mississippi. We didn't have this up north in Chicago during the rest of the year. To put my Aunt Mildred's spin on it, I made a few additions: a can of corn kernels; 2 quartered ears of corn (what can I say? I LOVE corn!); and 1-1/2 pounds of king crab legs (about 10 minutes before adding the shrimp). Other than the additions to the recipe, I only made one omission and a couple of preparation changes. 1. I didn't add the salt. Store-bought shrimp and crab are already salty. 2. Like another reviewer said, there wasn't enough oil after the chicken cooked to start the roux, plus I didn't want to risk having any burnt chicken bits. So, I cleaned the pot and started fresh with the oil and flour. 3. My roux color of choice - like peanut butter... and it takes 35 to 45 minutes. A good roux is a labor of love. And, this gumbo is LOVED!

it's really good. today will be my 3rd time making it. I love this recipe and adding your own twist to it.

It’s takes about 3 to 4 hours to make but it’s very good. I followed the recipe exactly but had to add more flour to the roux because too much fat came off the chicken.