A proper gumbo — thick, rich, affirming of hunger and soul — calls for a proper roux, the mix of toasted flour and fat that gives the stew a backbone. But a dedication to roux, in theory, used to mean constant attention and stirring on the stovetop, and knowing to stop just when the mix landed on the prescribed shade of brick or chocolate. To look away at the wrong moment would invite a dark roux to turn ashen, and make you start all over again. This all made gumbo out to be an awfully big project, one we'd have a hard time getting right.
Alton Brown soothed all of these concerns, and got people making a lot more gumbo, when he stuck his roux in the oven. I suspected this would be a controversial move, like suggesting you cook your salmon in the dishwasher or scrambled eggs in boiling water. But digging deeper, I found all kinds of gumbo tricks: quick rouxs, microwave rouxs, dry rouxs. "There are as many gumbos as there are mamas," as they say.
Brown's trick, if we're to judge by the consensus of Food Network commenters and the internet at large, may be the most beloved. Call me biased; call me a proud grandma, but I'm always surprised to see a recipe comment thread that matches the enthusiasm of those on Food52. This one is is near-frenzy:
“Wish someone had taught me this technique years ago!” - sphinxylady
“I will always make roux this way. A.Brown is a roux genius.” - FlavaFULL
“Oh Alton, thank you for making a roux that is easy, my arm doesnt fall off, and I dont get burned!” - Annapolis Chef
“I could never get it the right color before and now it is a no brainer!!!!!!!!” - flowerchild1959
As the roux bakes for 90 minutes, you’ll whisk it a couple times, but otherwise you’ll be free to pull heads off of shrimp and turn them into a deep pink stock, chop up your onion-celery-pepper trinity, maybe even crack a beer.
While I recommend following the recipe as written — and it’s well worth the trouble of finding head-on shrimp and filé powder for what might be the most soul-stirring gumbo you’ve tasted — the most important lesson to take away here is that any gumbo is more within reach when you bake your roux.
You can make it vegetarian, or add lentils, or spice, or duck, or greens. You can make your stock from just the shrimp tails and peels or crab legs or lobster remains, if you simply can't find head-on shrimp (and that should be your only excuse, because shrimp heads will otherwise become your new favorite ingredient). You might want to skip the pale, out-of-season tomato, or use canned. You can leave out the filé powder if it's proving troublesome — the gumbo will lack a little flavor and thickness, but you'll manage (consider okra or more roux). Because that roux, no longer needy and unknowable, is never going to stop you again.
Adapted slightly from The Food Network
Serves 6
4 oz. vegetable oil
4 oz. all-purpose flour (or about 1 cup less 4 teaspoons, if measuring by volume)
1 1/2 lbs. raw, whole, head-on medium-sized (31-50 count) shrimp
2 quarts water
1 cup diced onion
1/2 cup diced celery
1/2 cup diced green peppers
2 Tbsp. minced garlic
1/2 cup peeled, seeded, and chopped tomato (fresh or canned)
1 Tbsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp. fresh thyme, chopped
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
2 bay leaves
1/2 lb. andouille sausage, cut into 1/4-inch pieces and browned in a little oil
1 Tbsp. filé powder
Heat the oven to 350 degrees.
Place the vegetable oil and flour into a 5- to 6-quart cast iron Dutch oven and whisk together to combine. Place on the middle shelf of the oven, uncovered, and bake for 1 1/2 hours, whisking 2 to 3 times throughout the cooking process.
While the roux is baking, de-head, peel, and devein the shrimp. Place the shrimp in a bowl and set in the refrigerator. Place the heads and shells in a 4-quart saucepan along with the 2 quarts of water, set over high heat and bring to a boil. Decrease the heat to low and simmer for 1 hour or until the liquid has reduced to 1 quart. Remove from the heat and strain the liquid into a container, discarding the solids.
Once the roux is done, carefully remove it from the oven and set over medium-high heat. Gently add the onions, celery, green peppers, and garlic and cook, moving constantly, for 7 to 8 minutes or until the onions begin to turn translucent. Add the tomatoes, salt, black pepper, thyme, cayenne pepper, and bay leaves and stir to combine. Gradually add the shrimp broth while whisking continually. Decrease the heat to low, cover, and cook for 35 minutes. Turn off the heat, add the shrimp and sausage, and stir to combine. Add the filé powder while stirring constantly. Cover and allow to sit for 10 minutes prior to serving. Serve over rice.
This article originally appeared on Food52.com: http://food52.com/blog/12267-alton-brown-s-shrimp-gumbo
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