boudreaux gumbo
 Happy Mardi Gras season to all who celebrate! My cousin Lexie married a Cajun guy named Aaron Boudreaux and he has brought a lot of love and laughter to our family. Perhaps of equal importance, he also brought us this gumbo recipe, which has become a Mardi Gras tradition in my house in California. With Fat Tuesday just three days away, I thought it would be fun for us all to celebrate by cooking a big pot of Boudreaux gumbo! Gumbo (the official state cuisine of Louisiana) is a flavorful stew that’s long been a staple of both Creole and Cajun cooking1. It’s iconic because it’s delicious — also because it’s a symbol of the melding of cultures that shaped the region. Gumbo includes a roux — a flour and butter (or oil) mixture that’s browned slowly and lends richness, thickness, and flavor to the stew — as well as the “holy trinity” of vegetables: onion, bell pepper, and celery. From there, recipes vary. Cajun gumbo typically includes chicken and sausage and is more of a stew, while Creole gumbo stars shellfish like shrimp and is often brothier. Depending on the recipe, gumbo may or may not include tomatoes, okra, filé powder (aka ground sassafras), and/or other spices. Like many families in New Orleans — and throughout Louisiana and across the Gulf Coast — Aaron and Lexie have experimented with gumbo ingredients and proportions over the years. After lots of trial and error, they landed on a gumbo recipe (which I’ve titled Boudreaux Gumbo!) that’s now a staple in my own house. It’s a delicious, thick stew that includes chicken and andouille sausage, tomato (I love the acidity it adds!), the holy trinity of veggies, and lots of okra. It has a slight kick thanks to Cajun seasoning and andouille sausage, plus a hint of smokiness from smoked paprika. It is DELICIOUS. Lexie and Aaron buy a rotisserie chicken, shred it, and stir in the shredded meat for the final 5 minutes of cooking, but I honestly think it’s easier to cook the chicken ourselves, right in the gumbo. It adds more flavor too. They are not shrimp-in-gumbo people, and neither am I, but if you’re into it, you can stir in 1 pound of peeled and deveined U-30 shrimp for the final 4 minutes of cook time, either in addition to the chicken and sausage, or as a sub for one (or both — use 2 pounds of shrimp instead if that’s the case). For the record, Lexie says you have to sauté the shrimp in a separate pan first then throw them in or else they’ll be mushy. This makes zero sense to me, but she’s made a whole lot more gumbo than I have, so in Lexie I trust. This text from Lexie really threw me for a loop: I’d never heard of this before, but apparently some people put potato salad in — or on the side of — their gumbo!? I’ve always served mine with a big scoop of buttery white rice and literally would have never considered bringing potato salad into this mix. If you’re a potato salad/gumbo lover, I’ve GOT to know more. And if you want to try it, Lexie says, “store bought is fine.” Leave a comment Now that you have Cajun seasoning in your spice cabinet, you can make one-pot cheesy cajun chicken and rice and shrimp and fresh corn grits! Or if you’re in the mood for another hearty stew, I highly recommend one-pot chicken tikka masala stew. Serves 6 to 8 Cook time: 1 hour