Award Winning Chicken Andouille Gumbo Recipe

Julia Wright’s Gumbo Cook Off Winner

Julia is a home cook from the Pacific Northwest, just east of Seattle, in what she calls “Microsoft Land”.  Julia is also a member of my Facebook group, What I Cooked For Dinner Last Night, where our group shares meals they’ve prepared the night before giving us all ideas for future meals and inspiration to try new foods.

The contest was hosted locally by a Savory Spice store where each contestant had to bring 1.5 quarts of soup or stew in a crock pot. The store’s customers tasted the dishes throughout the day and voted.  Once all the food ran out, the voting was over. Julia said she brought way more than the 1.5 quart minimum to avoid being the first to run out.

When Julia and her husband came back to the store at 5 pm, she was told her Gumbo won “hands down” and she earned a $50 gift card.

A Little About Julia

Julia is the mom of two teenage boys and married to a British ex-pat. She told me she was late to start cooking but was inspired to learn how to cook when she started watching Food Network shows. Alton Brown’s show was her first favorite.

Julia and her husband love to travel and when on the road she tries to learn how to make a local dish or get some local inspiration for future meals. She learned how to make this gumbo while in New Orleans at a cooking class at the New Orleans School of Cooking.

Julia said it was a touristy activity but she “took it seriously”.

Gumbo is a Southern Louisiana Stew. No two chefs make gumbo the same way. Use this recipe to create your own specialty. Additions could include shrimp, okra and tomatoes. – Julia Wright