Excellent!

Recipe was the perfect size for my "standard" (6 qt?) cast iron Dutch oven.

Pay very close attention when making the dark roux! I've made many a "light" roux with butter and flour but this is different. Once beyond orange in color it darkens quite rapidly. As stated I stopped (removed from heat) with "dark brown" but the final product had burned note that was too high. "Medium brown" might be a better judgment of color for some.

As suggested in the comments I made some modifications:

I simmered boneless chicken thighs in home-made stock for about 20 minutes, cut into good-sized chunks and used the resulting juice instead of water. It took about 3 1/2 cups for an excellent consistency.

I cut andouille sausages into bite-size chunks and browned both sides.

I added the meats AFTER the broth/water.

Lacking the specified dry seasonings I substituted about 2 tsp. Old Bay and about 1/2 tsp. each pul biber and isot (both Turkish red peppers), 2 bay leaves and about 1/2 tsp. allspice. The result was rather mild and I longed for a "Red Hot" or similar sauce as when served in New Orleans.

Next time I'll be certain to have some Louisiana hot sauce on hand to serve on the side. I find Tabasco too intense for a condiment but wonderful as a seasoning.

I followed this recipe for the most part but added my own seasonings. I put in some allspice (maybe 1/2 tsp) and used the Slap 'Yo Mama creole seasoning. I added 2 cups of Moscato wine, a quart of chicken stock, and a cup of water instead of all water.

Walmart carries all kinds of cajun ingredients including bottled rou, gumbo base, entoffe base, file, and other goodies. Because I live in New England I have to order on line and they ship it to my local store for free.

I like to put two bay leaves in mine, is that wrong?

My family and I loved this! It was easy for me to make and not all that expensive. After moving to Montana, the hardest thing for me to find is okra; I had to use frozen, which isn't my particular favorite. That being said, it turned out fantastic! Thank you!

Having grown up just outside Gonzales, LA., it's funny reading these no no no THIS is the real way. Well the REAL way to make gumbo is the way YOU make it. There are as many gumbo recipes as there are gators in the swamps, it's all how you like it.
One thing we have always done IS to add the trinity to the roux, it cools it down right off. We do add our meat after water/broth though.
And never use Tony's seasonings, way way too salty.
The *rule* is either okra or file, however, we have always used both, i like the flavors.

A few suggestions:

Use stock or broth, not water. Typically you cook your chicken in the water first, then take it out and use that water.

However I like to cook the chicken on the grill, and remove the meat. (don't over cook it, it's going to cook some more in the gumbo, you don't want it to fall apart too much) I often cheat here and buy a rotisserie cooked chicken at the store, just don't get something with like Italian seasonings.

I also like to use prepared roux, the powdered kind is easier to get out of the jar, otherwise put the jar in some warm water for a while. (most folks may not be able to find this and will have to make the roux as above)

Mark from CA is right on. Don't add your trinity and meat to the roux. Cook them in the oil then remove them. Save some of the trinity to add at the last minute because your veggies will cook down to nothing. I like adding some at the end.

Don't add your seasonings until the end, taste, add a little, taste, add some more, don't ruin the whole pot.

I love the gumbo's that I have had in the past, but they have all been at restaurants. They have always had the rice in them when served, not underneath. Can it be prepared that way or is that "just wrong"?

wow... its funny how many people say they know how to make GUMBO when they know nothing about it.... wow.... seems being I'm from Louisiana and i read some of these comments and see some people THINK they know how to make it... just to through it in there... fillet is not needed if you really know how to make it from scratch

I never made gumbo myself and I chose this with some little extras I did baby shrimp, andouille and chicken. I made my own chicken broth by boiling my chicken first. I stewed my own tomatoes and added that. Plus one fresh jalapeno pepper for a kick. 2 tsp of old bay seasoning and creole. And all the ingredients in the list above my family loves it!

I wanted some Gumbo & asked a coworker from the Bayou to make some but she was waiting to get her supplies from Louisiana later in the month. So I made an attempt using this recipe & some additions of my own (beef & chicken broth, adobo seasoning & garlic & 2 packages Splenda). When I asked her her opinion of it she asked ME to make her some, lol lol.

This is the real deal! I used poblano peppers instead of bell, jalepenos instead of tabassco, and omitted the celery. My husband said it was the best thing i ever cooked!

This recipe is a little off in places. The roux part is fine, but it's batter thick by the time you add the trinity, and then to add meats to brown? It's a really glommy mass by then. I'd recommend browning the chicken and sausage in the oil, remove, and then add the flour to make the roux. That would mean the oil that came off the sausage would be absorbed into the roux instead of floating on top the way I did it. The water is much more than needed. I think slightly less than six cups is about right. I used six and it seemed a bit thin. Two teaspoons of hot sauce and a tablespoon of cajun seasoning isn't enough. I doubled the sauce, and since I don't like overly salting things (Tony Chacheres is really salty), added some habanero sauce (about five shakes), about a teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper, and about a quarter teaspoon of cayenne. It was spicy, but not hot.

This recipe is as authentic as any gumbo you could ever taste. I make only two variations in the recipe. My wife makes chicken salad quite often and I save the broth and freeze it. I use it in place of water. You'll be amazed at the difference in taste. The other variation is I add one large bay leaf or two small ones when I add the broth. I've had many certified Louisiana Cajuns rave over it. Thank you cooks.com.

can u use broth instead of water and can i make this without the okra and have it still taste good???

Hi Terry,

Use broth, if you have it, for added flavor. Without the okra the texture will be different and it won't really be gumbo!

-- CM