Shrimp and Sausage Gumbo

• Recipe by Grace Parisi

Ingredients

1. 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2. 1 red bell pepper, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
3. 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
4. 1 celery rib, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
5. 2 garlic cloves, very finely chopped
6. 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
7. Salt and freshly ground pepper
8. 1/2 pound andouille sausage or spicy kielbasa, halved lengthwise and sliced crosswise 1/2 inch thick
9. 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
10. 4 cups chicken stock or canned low-sodium broth
11. 2 thyme sprigs
12. 3/4 pound shelled and deveined medium shrimp
13. 1 scallion, thinly sliced
14. 1 tablespoon finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

Directions

1. In a large saucepan, heat the vegetable oil until shimmering. Add the red bell pepper, chopped onion, celery, chopped garlic and cayenne. Season the vegetables with salt and pepper and cook them over moderately high heat until they are softened, about 2 minutes. Add the sausage to the vegetables and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle the flour on top of the sausage and vegetables and stir until evenly coated. Add the chicken stock and thyme sprigs and simmer over moderate heat for 10 minutes.
2. Add the shrimp and scallion to the saucepan, season lightly with salt and simmer, stirring, until the shrimp are opaque and cooked through, about 2 minutes longer. Discard the thyme sprigs. Stir the parsley into the gumbo and serve at once.

Serve With

Rice or crusty bread.