Shrimp & Sausage Gumbo

Well, my husband really loves the Gumbo at The Faded Rose.  They make their roux soooo dark and rich, and that's what he was craving one day.  Have you ever made a roux?  Now, I have seen my girl Ginger Love throw out a roux that she has stood over for 30 minutes, waiting for it to get to the perfect consistency and color.  There seems to be some fine line between a good roux, and a burnt one.   

So let me just say that I don't often have the time or patience to stress over such things.  My Gumbo is sort of the quick and easy kind.  Here, I used an entire stick of butter.  It's not like me to splurge on Paula Deen's favorite ingredient much, but I got over the guilt after I saw someone put 2 sticks of butter into their mixing bowl to make some kind of desert.  Besides, it's not like I'm eating the entire thing by myself.

Ingredients:

• 1 Stick of Butter 
• 1/4 Cup of Flour
• Medium Green Bell Pepper, Diced
• 1 Medium Onion, Diced
• 3 Cloves of Garlic, Minced
• 1 Pound of Large Peeled Deveined Shrimp
• 1 Package of Smoked Sausage (I use turkey)
• 4 Cups of Chicken Stock
• 1 Bag of Frozen Okra
• Louisian Hot Sauce
• File

Directions:

1. Over medium high heat, melt the butter and the flour, stirring often.  Season with kosher or sea salt.
2. When the color gets as brown as you like it, add the onions and bell peppers.  Let them cook down for about 7 minutes.  Then add the garlic.  Continue to season each layer with a little bit of salt.  I learned that from Michael Symon - his book Live to Cook is awesome!
3. When the vegetables are soft, add the smoked sausage.  My husband says he thinks I should brown the sausage first.  If I have time between work, 2 daughters, and this blog, maybe I will do that next time!
4. Next, add the chicken stock. 
5. Bring it up to a boil, then add the okra.  Once it gets back up to a boil, lower heat to low and cover with a lid to let all the flavors simmer for 30 minutes.
6. During this time make your rice:  1 cup of rice with 2 cups of water.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to the lowest, cover with a lid, and let cook for 20 minutes.  After 20, take off the heat.
7. Next, bring the Gumbo back up to a boil.  Add the shrimp and as soon as they turn orange, turn off the heat so that you don't overcook the shrimp.
8. Top with file and hot sauce.