This rich Cajun stew is a New Orleans classic, and it gets its deep, robust flavor from the roux that is used to make it. A roux is a mixture of flour and fat (either butter or drippings) that is cooked low and slow to develop flavor. Making gumbo is an afternoon-long project, but it generally makes plenty to go around (this recipe serves 20), and you can freeze or refrigerate leftovers. In fact, as with many soups, gumbo often tastes better on the second day. Every gumbo recipe is slightly different, but this one, which features spicy andouille sausage and sweet crab and shrimp, is sure to please.

Prep time: 1 hour
Cook time: 2 hours 40 minutes
Total time to table: 3 hours 40 minutes
Yields: 20 servings

Ingredients
1 cup all-purpose flour
¾ cup bacon drippings

1 cup celery (coarsely chopped)
1 large onion (coarsely chopped)
1 large green bell pepper (coarsely chopped)
2 cloves garlic (minced)
1 pound andouille sausage, sliced
3 quarts water
6 cubes beef bouillon
1 tablespoon white sugar
salt to taste
2 tablespoons (or to taste) hot pepper sauce (like Tabasco)
½ teaspoon (or to taste) Cajun seasoning blend (like Tony Chachere’s)
4 bay leaves
½ teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1 14.5-ounce-can stewed tomatoes
1 6-ounce-can tomato sauce
2 teaspoons gumbo file powder

2 tablespoons bacon drippings
2 10-ounce packages frozen cut okra (thawed)
2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
1 pound lump crabmeat
3 pounds uncooked medium shrimp (peeled and deveined)
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons gumbo file powder

Directions

1. Using a large, heavy saucepan, make a roux by whisking together your first two ingredients (cup of flour and ¾ cup bacon drippings). Do so over medium-low heat until a smooth mixture forms. Cook the roux until it turns a rich mahogany color, continuing to whisk constantly. This takes from 20-30 minutes. Whisk constantly and watch the heat to avoid burning the roux. Remove from heat and keep whisking the mixture until it stops cooking.

2. Now that your roux is a beautiful rich brown, move on to the veggies. Using a food processor, very finely chop celery, onions, green bell pepper and garlic together. Stir chopped veggies into the prepared roux. Mix in sausage. Using medium-low heat, bring this mixture to simmer. Cook until veggies are tender, about 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat, and set aside.

3. Now it’s time to really spice things up by adding all the seasonings that give gumbo its distinctive New Orleans flavor. Using a soup pot or large Dutch oven, bring water and beef bouillon cubes to a boil. Whisk the roux/veggie mixture into boiling water, and reduce heat to simmer. Mix in sugar, salt, hot pepper sauce, Cajun seasoning, bay leaves, thyme, stewed tomatoes and tomato sauce. On low heat, simmer soup for 1 hour. At the 45-minute mark, mix in 2 teaspoons file gumbo powder.

4. While your soup mix is simmering, you’ll be preparing the seafood and okra, which are staples of many gumbo recipes. Using a skillet, melt two tablespoons of bacon drippings. Cook okra with vinegar for 15 minutes on medium heat. Using a slotted spoon, remove okra, and stir it into simmering soup mixture. Then, mix in crabmeat, shrimp and Worcestershire sauce. Simmer to blend flavors, about 45 more minutes. Right before you ladle up your gumbo, stir in 2 more teaspoons file gumbo powder. Ladle over hot cooked rice and enjoy!