Step 1: Make The Roux Whisk together flour and bacon drippings in a Dutch oven and cook in 300°F oven for 90 minutes, whisking every 15 minutes or so. This amount of time is necessary to develop the deep flavors and rich color.
add flour to bacon grease
Step 1: Make The Roux Whisk together flour and bacon drippings in a Dutch oven and cook in 300°F oven for 90 minutes, whisking every 15 minutes or so. This amount of time is necessary to develop the deep flavors and rich color.
heat over low heat
Step 1: Make The Roux Whisk together flour and bacon drippings in a Dutch oven and cook in 300°F oven for 90 minutes, whisking every 15 minutes or so. This amount of time is necessary to develop the deep flavors and rich color.
whisk every 15 minutes
Step 2: Chop The Vegetables: While the roux is cooking, dice onion, celery, bell pepper, and garlic by hand or by pulsing in a food processor.
add vegetables to food processor
Step 2: Chop The Vegetables: While the roux is cooking, dice onion, celery, bell pepper, and garlic by hand or by pulsing in a food processor.
pulse until diced
Step 3: Cook The Gumbo
Cook sausage and veggies: Once the roux is done, place the Dutch oven on the stove. Add the onion mixture along with the sausage and cook for about 15 minutes.
Simmer: Slowly add beef broth to the mixture in the Dutch oven. Scrape the bottom of the pan to loosen anything that may have stuck during the cooking process.
Step 3: Cook The Gumbo
At this point, you will add the sugar, hot pepper sauce, Cajun seasoning, bay leaves, thyme, tomatoes, tomato paste, and okra. Let that mixture simmer for an hour.
Step 3: Cook The Gumbo
Add seafood and seasonings: Add shrimp, crab meat, gumbo file powder, and Worcestershire sauce. Cook for an additional hour over extremely low heat.
Step 3: Cook The Gumbo
Continue to cook over very low heat
Step 3: Cook The Gumbo