Handwritten gumbo recipe
    No Bad Company

    No Bad Food

    Pat Semien's Gumbo

    Before You Start

    Use a large silver stock pot. Do not buy pre-cut vegetables—chop by hand, not too fine. This recipe makes a lot of gumbo. You will have extra roux. Remove bay leaves before serving.

    Vegetables & Aromatics

    • ●1 bell pepper, chopped
    • ●½–1 cup green onions, chopped
    • ●1 yellow onion, chopped
    • ●1 cup celery, chopped
    • ●2 tbsp minced garlic
    • ●3 tbsp parsley flakes

    Seasonings

    • ●1 tsp thyme (optional)
    • ●1 tsp cayenne pepper (adjust later)
    • ●1 tsp paprika
    • ●3 bay leaves
    • ●Slap Ya Mama or Tony Chachere's (optional)

    Proteins

    • ●2 rings Beef Holmes Smokehouse Sausage
    • ●1 roll Andouille sausage
    • ●Dried shrimp
    • ●Large shrimp, peeled, deveined, tails removed
    • ●Fully cooked seasoned chicken thighs
    • ●1 jar of lump crab meat (optional)

    Liquids

    • ●Chicken stock and/or seafood stock (a combination of both is highly recommended)
    • ●2 teaspoons white vinegar

    Dry Roux (Oven Method)

    Bake 2 cups seasoned flour at 400°F for 30–35 mins until dark cinnamon-brown. To test color: drop a spoonful into a glass with water; it should be dark cinnamon-brown.

    Transfer immediately to a cool pan. Once cool, whisk with room-temp stock. Do not use all of it.

    Pro Tips

    • ●Don't burn the roux. If you do, it's over.
    • ●Vinegar is necessary—don't skip this one.
    • ●Dried shrimp is also necessary—don't skip.

    Method

    1. 01Sear chicken in a large silver pot; set aside.
    2. 02Sauté vegetables and seasonings (except bay leaves) until semi-soft.
    3. 03Add stove top cooked sausage (drained).
    4. 04Stir in your stock (I prefer a mix of chicken and seafood stock)—add more depending on how thick you want the gumbo.
    5. 05In a separate bowl, whisk roux with warm stock until smooth. Slowly stir into the pot. (Do NOT add dry roux directly).
    6. 06Add bay leaves and simmer for 1 hour.
    7. 07Add chicken back to the pot and heat for 20–30 minutes.
    8. 08Add shrimp and dried shrimp; cook until shrimp are just done.
    9. 09Add lump crab (if applicable).
    10. 10Stir in white vinegar. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.

    Finish

    Remove bay leaves. Serve hot. Enjoy.