3 tbsp plus 2 tsp vegetable oil
6 tbsp unbleached all purpose flour
2 8 oz bottles clam juice
1 c water
1/2 pound andouille sausage (whole foods has the chicken kind), cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 onion minced
1 red bell pepper
cored and chopped fine
1 celery rib, chopped fine
2 tsp creole spice mixture (Zatarains, Emrils, Penzeys)
1 tsp minced fresh thyme or 1/4 tsp dried
salt and ground pepper
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound extra large shrimp (21/25), peeled and deveined
3 scallions, sliced thin
Prepare the sausage, onion, pepper and celery while the roux browns!
Whisk 3 tbsp oil and flour together in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, whisking occasionally, until mixture is the color of an old copper penny, about 15 min (once it took me 45, so turn the heat up!) Slowly whisk in clam juice and water and bring to simmer. Continue to simmer until paragraph 3
Sautee sausage and vegetables: while roux cooks, heat remaining 2 tsp oil in a LARGE DUTCH OVEN OVER MEDIUM HIGH HEAT. Add sausage, onion, pepper and celery, spice mixture, thyme, 1/4 tsp salt and cook until lightly browned, about 7 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds..
Assemble gumbo: Slowly stir roux into vegetables, scraping up any browned bits. Simmer until vegetables are tender, about 5-7 minutes
Cook shrimp: stir in shrimp and simmer until cooked through, about 3 minutes. Off heat, season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with scallions before serving.
Optional: stir in 10 oz bag of frozen okra, thawed, into skillet, with vegetables when cooking.
