Seafood Gumbo Recipe

This is the Gumbo Shop’s (a New Orleans restaurant) recipe, mostly.

1 Qt. Okra, cut into ½ “ pieces (I used frozen)

2 Tbls. Oil

Water

2-3 lbs. Shrimp (not from China!)

Georgia Shrimp from Stacia

2/3 cup Oil (for the roux)

½ cup Flour (for the roux)

2 med. Onions, chopped (yes, 2)

1 Bell Pepper, chopped

2 ribs Celery, chopped

2 cloves Garlic, chopped

¼ cup Parsley, or more

1 16 oz. can Stewed Tomatoes

2 Bay Leaves (not optional)

2 Tbls. Worcestershire Sauce (Grandmama just called it Lee & Perrins)

2 Boiled Crabs (we like blue crabs with claws)

Salt to taste

½ tsp. Black Pepper

½ tsp. Cayenne pepper

Tabasco (my addition…gumbo without Tabasco?)

Peel and devein shrimp. Set aside in refrigerator.  Boil shrimp shells in 2 qts. water for several hours to make stock.  Set aside.  In a heavy skillet, heat 2 Tbls. oil and sauté okra until all ropiness is gone, about ½ hour.  Set

Add the Vegetables to the Roux

aside.  In a large (6-8 qt.) heavy Dutch oven make a dark brown roux with the oil and flour.  (Do not let burn, stir continuously for 30 to 45 minutes or until the roux is dark brown).  When the roux is done, add onions, bell peppers, celery, garlic, and parsley to the roux and sauté until tender and onions are clear.  Add tomatoes and cook 15 minutes.  Add sautéed okra, shrimp stock, crabs (broken into quarters and the claws separated from the main crab), bay leaves, Worcestershire Sauce, black pepper, and cayenne pepper.  Bring to a slow boil and simmer for about 2 hours, stirring occasionally.  Add salt and Tabasco to taste.  Add the peeled shrimp (about 15 minutes before serving) and continue cooking until shrimp are done.  Serve over steamed rice, with french bread and a salad.  This dish is best if cooked a day in advance and refrigerated overnight.

• You usually have either okra gumbo or file’ gumbo. If you are making file’ gumbo, eliminate the okra and add the file’ when serving.

• Making gumbo is a creative process. I added some roasted red peppers I had in the freezer from the tailgate market.  The crucial part is the roux and at the end when you are adjusting the flavoring.  Some people put tomatoes in their gumbo, some don’t…people in Louisiana argue about stuff like that.

• If you have never tasted gumbo, it is thick, rich, flavorful, and usually spicy.  There are lots of different kinds of gumbo, involving different meats and seafoods.  You could even try making vegan gumbo. Just skip all the seafood ingredients, and pay extra attention to the stock, herbs and spices, and maybe throw in some Portobellos.

• There is even a Lenten gumbo called Gumbo Z’Herbes, using seven different greens.  If you eat this gumbo of seven greens this week on Holy Thursday (the Thursday before Easter), and meet seven people on Good Friday, you will have good luck all year long according to Cajun superstitions.

Dinnertime!

*See posts, Seafood Stock for Gumbo and Cooking Good Gumbo for more information.