FOOD NEWS
For The Most Flavorful Gumbo, Always Make It In Your Slow Cooker
BY WENDY LEIGH
For an easier, less time-consuming method for making Cajun-Creole gumbo, turn to your slow cooker, which provides convenience, flavor, and melt-in-your-mouth tenderness.
Simmering for hours brings out the flavor complexities from the mix of spices, peppers, meats, sausages, and vegetables that make up the thick Cajun or Creole gumbo.
The slow-cooker gumbo requires less than 15 minutes of hands-on prep time. This includes the time it takes to chop and measure out ingredients for the slow cooker.
In this Cajun dish, finely diced celery, onions, and bell peppers need to be sauteed on the stovetop. Flour is then added which bypasses the need for making a Cajun roux.
Then, all other ingredients are added to the slow cooker, including broth, andouille sausage, chicken or shrimp, Cajun seasoning, bay leaves, oregano, powdered cayenne, and thyme.
Toward the end, add sassafras gumbo filé and okra. As the ingredients bubble and brew for hours, you’ll end up with a large pot of hearty Louisiana gumbo.