Clark's Gumbo

Recipe Courtesy of Chef Clark Overton

Level: Intermediate

Total: 2 hr 30 mins

Prep: 30 min

Cook: 2 hr 

Yield: Yield: 6 QTS

This is what you have been waiting for. More good oh home cooking. Fresh, delicious, deep flavored home cooked gumbo that will make your mouth water for more. This recipe is even great the next day.
Follow this recipe and you are in for a treat. Enjoy!
  • 1 cup -All-Purpose Flour
  • 1 stick-Unsalted Butter
  • .5 cup- Vegetable Oil
  • 1 stalk- Celery
  • 1 cup- Diced Yellow Onion
  • 1 each- Green Bell Pepper
  • 5 Bay Leaves
  • 1 Tbl-Gumbo File
  • 4 sprigs-Fresh Thyme
  • 1.5 Tbl-Chef Clark's Cajun Seasoning
  • 1 Head-Fresh Garlic (1 oz)
  • 46 Turns of Black Pepper ( I love Black Pepper)
  • TT Kosher Salt ( about 1 Tbl 1 Tsp in total)
  • 62 oz- Chicken Broth (low or no sodium)
  • 1/4 tsp-Cayenne Pepper
  • 1 pkg-Andouille Sausage (10 oz)
  • 6 oz-Tomato Sauce
  • 1 bunch-Fresh Italian Parsley
  • 1 can- Crab Claw Meat ( 8 oz)
  • 1 pkg-Chicken Thighs ( my package was 1lb 10oz)
  • 1 lb-34/30 Shrimp
  • Jasmine or Sticky White Rice

Now that you have everything ready let’s get to cooking.

Trim any fat from the chicken thighs. Wash the chicken and dry. Season chicken with 1/2 Tbl Chef Clarks Cajun Seasoning, oil. Marinate Reserve.

Wash the Shrimp thouroghly and dry. Reserve.

Place crab in a Bowl. Reserve.

Wash and De-stem the parsley, Chop the parsley super fine and place on a paper towel to dry. Reserve.

Peel and small dice the yellow onion. Reserve.

Wash the bell pepper, clean the bell pepper by removing the seeds and the pith. Small Dice and Reserve.

Wash the Celery, Cut the Core off and remove the leaves. Dice small and reserve. (save the leaves for tempura celery leaves for salad).

Dice the andouille sausage to the size of your liking. Reserve.

Place the bay leaves and fresh thyme in a sachet Reserve. If you do not have cheesecloth you can use a coffee filter. Tie with String. Reserve.

Dice the Chicken in large pieces. Grab a saute pan place on the fire, add the oil to get hot. Medium sear the chicken on both sides till you get a nice caramel color. Add the sausage and saute nicely. Add the shrimp this will deglaze the pan as well. Cook the shrimp half way. Reserve.

In the same pot add the butter (melt) and flour. Starting your ROUX watch, stir and monitor to get a nice toasty, caramel color. This process must be monitored
to avoid roux from burning.

Once your roux is perfect add the celery, onion, bell pepper, garlic, sachet. Lightly saute to open of the flavors. Place in a larger pot.

Add the Chicken Broth, chicken and sausage, tomato sauce, cayenne pepper, salt, black pepper, cajun seasoning, file powder.

You can also place in a crock pot and simmer to avoid scorching the pot. This will give you a burst of different flavors.

Ensure you are using salt and pepper throughout this whole process. This is called flavor layering.

Ensure you are tasting the gumbo throughout,. Most likely you will have to adjust all seasonings to your liking.

Add the shrimp, crab meat, fresh parsley for the burst of earthy and fresh flavor. ( this is the very last step)

Once the shrimp is cooked through. You are good to go. The consistency should be smooth and velvety, Not too thick and not too watery. Serve Gumbo over your favorite rice. You can also serve gumbo with cornbread. Garnish with some more fresh parsley. Enjoy while Hott!!

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