A chicken, sausage and shrimp gumbo, made with a butter-based roux, the trinity and okra.

Butter Roux Chicken, Sausage and Shrimp Gumbo

A long time ago, I remember hearing an old wives' tale about combining chicken and seafood together in a gumbo, something to the effect of "land and sea, never the two shall meet," a throw back to Kipling I think. Supposedly, you weren't to mix seafood and chicken in a gumbo.

In my growing up, we didn't. There was seafood gumbo and there was chicken gumbo. There was no mixing of the two together in one gumbo.

Seems like it's actually really a thing though!

A shrimp gumbo, made with a roux and the trinity, and the addition of boiled eggs to stretch the meal and add additional protein for the Lenten season. Eggs may be omitted if you prefer.

Lenten Shrimp and Egg Gumbo

Egg most often appears throughout the year in a gumbo made from a hen or chicken, quail eggs in everything else often, though during Lent it's seafood. The egg stretches the meal and adds extra protein.

I based my version on a recipe from Best of the Best from Louisiana cookbook, which did not include okra, so I left it out, though certainly use some if you prefer. Some folks will argue with you that it's not a gumbo without it because they probably read that somewhere.

Shrimp and Okra Gumbo with Microwave Roux

A gumbo made with a dark roux, cooked in the microwave, a rich shrimp stock, the Trinity of vegetables, okra, shrimp and andouille sausage.

Shrimp and Okra Gumbo

Yes, it's another shrimp gumbo, but... what sets this one apart is that it was a "hurry up" gumbo, made with my microwave roux - pushed just a little bit further than usual - and pretty much, mostly ingredients that were straight out of the freezer!

• The shrimp were frozen.
• The shrimp stock I had made and put up in the freezer. You can also substitute commercial seafood or chicken broth, of course.
• Smoked sausage is also a freezer staple I always have on hand and can be quickly thawed in the microwave.
• I had even actually run completely out of onion when I decided to make this gumbo - can you imagine? No worries. I always keep extra chopped onion in the freezer.