Instant Pot Shrimp & Okra Gumbo – Recipe!

I’ve been to New Orleans a handful of times and boy it is an experience. The people, food and of course the jazz music are something everyone needs to experience at least once in a lifetime. I tend to focus on the food scene for starters craving some Cajun and Creole favorites like jambalaya, etouffee, po boys and gumbo – these are dishes you cannot miss.

Mardi Gras is in the beginning of March this year, so I thought it might be fun to make a batch of Gumbo at home in my Instant Pot, or electric pressure cooker and have my own celebration. Making a roux is the first step in preparing a good Gumbo. Roux is made with flour and oil and it’s cooked until a deep gravy color. Dried spices are added to create depth of flavor and to add another flavor of complexity to this dish.

The Holy Trinity in New Orleans is a combination of onions, celery and bell peppers that are sauteed in the roux before adding any water or broth. A holy trinity is the base of many recipes in Louisiana cooking and it is considered a recipe staple within most households.

Making Gumbo is pretty simple from here, add some frozen okra – it’s hard to find fresh in this part of the country, and a pound of shrimp. The steamy pressured bath offers the most desired environment for such a stew and after it’s ladled over hot rice, I’m sure you will be booking your tickets to New Orleans.

Ingredients

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/3 cup vegetable oil

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

pinch of cayenne pepper

1 white onion, diced

2 stalks celery, sliced

1 heaping tablespoon tomato paste

2 cups chicken broth

1 bell pepper, diced

12 ounces sliced frozen okra

1 pound fresh large shrimp, tails removed

1 tablespoon hot sauce

1/4 cup fresh parsley, roughly chopped

hot rice

(Serves 4)

To Prepare:

Add flour and vegetable oil to cooker and saute for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. Add salt, garlic powder, paprika, black pepper and cayenne to mixture and stir. Continue to cook for 1 minute.
Add onions and celery and stir to combine with roux. Cook for 3 minutes and add tomato paste, stir. Cook for 1 minute.
Add 1 1/2 cup hot water and broth, stir until combined. Add bell peppers and okra, stir. Hit cancel and set to High Pressure for 15 minutes.
When done, release pressure and stir in shrimp and hot sauce. Place lid on top and let shrimp cook for 6 minutes in hot Gumbo mixture (no need to set pressure again).
Remove lid and ladle Gumbo over hot rice. Sprinkle with parsley. Enjoy!