Paleo New Orleans-style Gumbo

I have many fond memories of my French Cajun MawMaw spending all day in the kitchen, filling the entire house with the amazing aromas of gumbo.  I even remember her serving me a bowl before she added shrimp to the pot (I hated seafood back then).  Nowadays, I find the shrimp to be the best part - that final piece of the puzzle that makes gumbo such a satisfying meal.

This is actually a combination of two different recipes.  I use the guidelines for making a Paleo roux from the Paleo Comfort Foods cookbook.  The rest of the recipe comes from GumboCooking.com.  Enjoy cooking this flavor-packed dish when you have a little extra free time to spend in the kitchen.  Your family will love you for it.

so many shrimps!

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cooking Time: 2 hours
Servings: 8

Equipment needed:
large pot with lid (I love my cast iron dutch oven)

Ingredients:

For the roux
1/3 cup bacon grease (or favorite cooking fat)
4 tbsp. coconut flour
4 tbsp. almond flour

For the gumbo
1 lb. medium uncooked shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 lb.skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut bite size
1 lb. andouille sausage*, cut bite size
1 tbsp. bacon grease (or favorite cooking fat)
2 cups chopped onions
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped green pepper
6 cups chicken stock**
1 tbsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. creole seasoning
1 tsp. fresh thyme, chopped
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper
1 (14.5oz) can diced tomatoes
2 bay leaves
1 tsp. Tabasco sauce
3 cups sliced okra
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
2 tsp. file powder (added after the gumbo is finished cooking)

*don't skimp on quality - this will determine the flavor of the entire gumbo.  I use this (available at Whole Foods).
**I use 3 cups chicken broth and 3 cups filtered water

Directions:
1.  Coat the bottom of the pot with 1 tbsp. cooking fat and brown the chicken and sausage over medium high heat.  Remove from pot and set aside.
2.  Add the 1/3 cup of cooking fat for the roux and once heated, whisk in coconut and almond flour.  Once integrated, it will resemble a thick paste.  Vigilantly whisk all areas of the bottom of the pot continuously to keep the roux from burning.  Once the roux has turned very dark brown, add the chopped vegetables and saute on low for 8-10 minutes.

roux-coated chopped veggies

3. Gradually add the chicken stock stirring constantly until blended.
4. Add the chicken, sausage and the rest of the ingredients EXCEPT shrimp, okra, parsley, and file powder.
5. Cover and simmer* on low heat for 30 minutes.  Remove lid and cook for 30 more minutes stirring occasionally.
*where a few bubbles barely come to the surface
6.  Add shrimp, okra and parsley and cook for 15 more minutes, uncovered.

Enjoy with some cauliflower rice or just on it's own!