Southern Shrimp and Okra Gumbo

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 No Southern chef can look herself in the mirror with any self-respect if she doesn't have a scrumptious gumbo recipe somewhere in her cookbook arsenal. This is a versatile dish that can be made and served a million different ways--including vegetarian, if your little heart desires. Bernadette's version includes ham, bacon, and sausage as well as shrimp, so it's not very vegetarian at all but it does please the crowds every time. And since she knows best, we would be fools not to take a place at the table. Now let's get started on the dish!

 What you need for this dish:
  • 1 pound of fresh okra, with caps and tips cut off, sliced crosswise into 1/2" wide rings
  • 1 ham steak, rind removed, cut into cubes
  • 1 pound of smoked andouille sausage, sliced crosswise into 1/2" wide rings
  • 4 strips of bacon, diced into bite-sized pieces
  • 2 dozen cooked shrimp, deveined and tails removed
  • 3 large onions, diced
  • 3 cloves of garlic, diced
  • 1 ear of corn, shaved off the cob
  • 12-15 medium ripe tomatoes (or 28-34 ounces of canned diced tomatoes and juice), grated
  • 2 jalapenos, sliced lengthwise, with seeds and ribs removed
  • 12 ounces chicken stock
  • 1-2 T butter
  • 2 T vegetable oil
  • 1-3 T Gagi's S'Umami™ Hot Pepper Vinegar Sauce (see blog for the recipe!), or hot vinegar
  • salt and pepper

Here is how you make it:
  • Begin by browning your bacon in 2 T of vegetable oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat.
  • When the bacon is approximately half-way done, add in the sliced andouille sausage and allow to brown along with the bacon.
  • Remove the bacon and sausage from the pot with a slotted spoon, leaving the oil in the pot.
  • Put the sliced okra into the pot over medium heat and cook, stirring frequently. Okra is a very unique vegetable in that it produces a slimy coating as it cooks. Some people like this element of okra and do not "clear" the okra by cooking it until the slime is reduced. If that's your preference, more power to you. Bernadette is not a fan of the slime, and she prefers to cook the okra until it is as slime-free as possible but not overdone.
 
  • Once the okra is cooked to your preference, add the diced onion to the pot and cook until the onion is softened but not translucent.

  • This is the point when you add the grated tomatoes. If you have never grated a tomato, it's not that hard and it is an excellent way to get fresh tomato juice and meat without slicing and dicing all day. Here is how you do it:
    • Put a box grater in a large silver bowl.
    • Cut the stem off the tomato and slice off the top of the tomato to remove a bit of the core and expose the meat
    • Now, place that side of the tomato against the grater and grate just like you would cheese.
    • The skin will slowly peel back away from the grater holes as the juice and meat drain into the bowl.
    • When you reach the end of the tomato, discard the remaining part.

  • Stir tomatoes into the onion and okra, then add the jalapeno and stir to mix. These jalapeno slices can be removed at the end of cooking before serving, left in whole, or diced up and returned to the dish if you want some extra spice!
  • Add the chicken stock by ounces until you reach the desired thickness for your taste and preference.
  • Add the bacon and sausage back into the pot now, along with the diced ham and stir well to mix.
  • At this point, you may want to add more chicken stock in addition to the recommended 9 ounces if necessary.
  • Add salt and pepper to taste.
  • Add 1-2 T of butter and 1-3 T of Gagi's S'Umami™ Hot Pepper Vinegar Sauce to taste.
  • Allow to simmer lightly for 10-15 minutes.
  • Now, add the corn and the shrimp and stir to mix all the ingredients well.

  • Allow to simmer lightly for another 10-15 minutes or until corn and shrimp are heated and tender.
  • DO NOT ALLOW TO BOIL! Never allow tomato-based dishes to boil as this increases the acidity of the sauce and will possibly cause heartburn later for you and your guests.


We always recommend serving this dish over warm, fresh buttered rice with a little of the juice on top for extra flavor. Again, you can leave the jalapenos in for kick or take them out if you prefer. Gumbo is a very versatile dish, and many of the little elements are up to you when you make this dish. Bernadette always says that it's a blessing to have choices and after all, she does know best!

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