A Mardi Gras Recipe from Universal Orlando

Hope you’re having a terrific Fat Tuesday, aka Mardi Gras. Let the good times roll, if you know what I mean. If you can’t find a Mardi Gras parade near you, you can always come celebrate this Saturday at Universal Orlando. British-American band Foreigner is set to perform at Universal Orlando Resort’s Mardi Gras this Saturday, bringing their unique blues-pop-rock sound and some of the most unforgettable rock songs spanning three decades.

Part of what makes Universal Orlando’s Mardi Gras so good is the themed food choices. I’m a big fan of Cajun cuisine so it was a great pleasure to learn how to prepare authentic gumbo as part of Universal Orlando’s Mardi Gras festivities. If you want to celebrate with your own authentic gumbo, the recipe from Universal is below the jump:

Universal Orlando Resort’s Mardi Gras Creole Gumbo
(Yields ½ gallon)
Ingredients:
1/2 cup onions (diced ¼”)
1 cups celery (diced ¼”)
1/2 cup red bell peppers (diced ¼”)
1/2 cup green bell peppers (diced ¼”)
4 cloves garlic (chopped fine)
5 slices bacon (diced into pieces)
1 bay leaves
1/2 Tbsp. Thyme leaves
1/2 lb. Okra, frozen (cut into bite size pieces)
1 28 oz. Can tomatoes diced with juice
1 Tbsp. Fish or shrimp base
¼ tsp. Black pepper ground
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
4 cups Fish stock strong, hot
1 Tbsp. Gumbo file
1/2 cup water, cold
1/2 lb. Shrimp (raw, peeled 26-30 count)
1/2 lb. Andouille sausage
4 Tbsp. Butter unsalted
4 Tbsp. Flour all purpose
½ tsp. Tabasco

Directions:
1. Prepare brown roux by cooking flour and butter.
2. Heat bacon in soup pot and cook until lightly brown add onions, celery, bell peppers and garlic and cook until tender.
3. Blend in okra, bay leaves, thyme, black pepper and Tabasco, stirring constantly.
4. Add fish stock, sausage and tomatoes and bring to a boil and then blend in roux mixing well.
5. Bring back to a boil, turn down heat and simmer for 45 minutes. Stir frequently.
6. Add shrimp, Worcestershire sauce and simmer 10 more minutes.
7. Remove from heat, blend gumbo file and water with wire whip and stir into soup. Adjust seasoning.
8. When serving, put one spoon of boiled hot rice into cup, pour in enough gumbo to cover and garnish with chopped green onions.