Gumbo on the Grill

I was lucky enough to be in attendance when this dish was made and it is the best gumbo I’ve ever had in my life. Cooking all the gumbo ingredients on the grill adds something to the flavor profile that can’t be achieved inside on the stove. I highly recommend trying this grilling recipe. I’ll hand it off to the third Grillin’ Fool, Tom to show you how to do it…

My wife and I love to travel.  One of our favorite spots is New Orleans.  We love to experience the culture, the sights, the people, the music, and (of course) the food!!  Here is one of our southern favorites with a Grillin’ Fools twist. Gumbo done entirely on the grill!

Ingredients:

1 chicken rubbed with Cajun spices
1.5 pounds smoked Andouille or spicy sausage
3 onions
2 cups celery, chopped
2 cups okra, chopped (optional)
3 yellow or red peppers
2 tbsp chopped garlic
8 cups chicken stock or broth
2 lbs shrimp
1 lb halibut, chunked

The Ingredients

Ingredients Part Deux

Roux:

1 cup (8 oz.) lard
1 cup flour

Directions:

First, apply a Cajun rub to the chicken (or your favorite rub):

The Chicken with the Cajun Spices

Put the chicken on the grill and cook it 275-300° to 170° internal temperature in the breast, flipping often to get a good flavor crust along the outside. This should take 60-90 minutes depending on the grill:

The Bird on the Big Green Egg

When the chicken is close to being done, add peppers, onions, and garlic to the grill, turning occasionally to char and introduce a nice smoky flavor to the finished gumbo:

Chicken is almost done, time for the veggies

Veggies and Chicken are Done

The charring really gives the veggies an added level of texture and taste! That’s what makes this gumbo better than what is made on the stove.

Once charred and cooked through, for both the veggies and chicken, remove from grill and let them cool:

Veggies Chillin’

Rough chop the peppers:

Chopping the Fire Roasted Peppers

Make sure to take off the skin of the onion before chopping:

Chopping the Fire Roasted Onions

Put the peppers and onions into a bowl:

Peppers and Onions Waiting for the Celery

Then add the chopped celery:

The Trinity

Also, take the chicken off the bone and chop it to bite-sized pieces:

Chicken Pulled from the Carcass

Slice the sausage and put in a bowl for later:

Slicing the Sausage

Ready for the Gumbo

Now, on to the roux.  Add the lard to the pan and let it melt:

Mmmmm, Lard

Slowly add the flour, a little bit at a time, whisking as you go:

Adding the flour slowly

Keep Stirring the Roux

Keep adding flour and stirring until the roux is brown in color, almost the same color as a penny.  Or darker than the roux is in the picture below. Then you know you are ready for the next step which is to add the chopped onions, celery, and peppers (also known as the trinity).  Also add in the garlic:

Adding the Trinity

Cook until the onions are translucent.  This is going to give your gumbo its flavor base:

Simmering the Veggies

Cooking down nicely

Now, give the gumbo its heartiness–add the meat (chicken and Andouille) and the okra (if you prefer). If you notice, the pot has changed because the Dutch oven was not big enough:

Time for the meat

Give it some kick!  The heat really adds to the flavor palette of the gumbo, so go as hot as you dare, or leave it out if you aren’t so bold:

A little kick

Now it’s time to finish it up!  Add the chicken broth slowly to roux:

Stock added and ready to simmer

Simmer on low heat for at least an hour, although the longer you cook the gumbo, the better it tastes!!

About 15 minutes before serving, add the uncooked shrimp and halibut.  These ingredients don’t need as long to cook, so just add them at the end.  This really gives the gumbo a nice fresh taste, particularly when you get it from Bob’s Seafood like we did:

Add the Shrimp and Halibut

Enjoy the flavors of the South y’all!!:

Time for a steaming bowlful

If you have any questions, feel free to leave them below or shoot Tom an email.

If you liked this gumbo on the grill and would like to see similar grilling recipes, click here.

Also, you can follow the Grillin Fools on our Facebook page where you can post your own grilling pictures, share grilling recipes, or join the general grilling conversation.  Also, you can follow us on Twitter @GrillinFool

1. 

   CJ at Food Stories says:

   June 19, 2012 at 2:00 PM

   Thx for connecting with me on foodbuzz. I just subscribed to your blog feed and can’t wait to see what your next post will be!

   reply
2. 

   Bonnie Gerhardt says:

   June 29, 2012 at 12:30 PM

   Saw you on Great Day St. Louis, everything looked great.

   reply