Crab Gumbo Food

SEAFOOD GUMBO

Steps:

• Make the roux: Combine the flour and vegetable oil in a wide Dutch oven over medium-low heat and cook, whisking constantly, until dark brown, about 45 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
• Bring 10 quarts water to a boil in an extra-large, wide pot. Stir in the onion, bell peppers and roux and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are very soft, about 45 minutes. Add the blue crab and lobster tail and boil until cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the lobster tail and crab; discard the crab. Let the lobster cool slightly, then remove the meat from the shell and cut into small chunks; refrigerate until ready to use.
• Add the Creole seasoning to the pot and bring to a boil; cook until the liquid reduces by one-quarter, about 1 hour, 30 minutes. Add the shrimp and cook over medium heat until firm, about 20 minutes. Add the crabmeat and reserved lobster meat and cook 10 minutes. Stir in the scallions and parsley and remove from the heat. Cover and let stand 30 minutes. Serve over rice.

CRAB GUMBO DRESSING

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
• Add the sausage and sauté/stir for 5 minutes or until lightly browned.
• Transfer sausage to a paper-towel lined plate and keep drippings in skillet.
• Add the onion, scallion, celery, red pepper, and garlic to the skillet.
• Sauté/stir over medium heat for 10 minutes or until the onion is softened.
• Add in the Worcestershire sauce and Cajun seasoning; stir to combine.
• Transfer the cooked vegetables to a large mixing bowl.
• Add in the cornbread, cooked andouille, crabmeat, and parsley; stir to combine.
• Gradually stir in eggs and approximately 1 cup of broth until the stuffing is evenly moist but not soggy.
• Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Transfer stuffing mixture to a lightly buttered casserole dish; drizzle with 1/2 cup broth, cover with foil and bake in a 350°F oven for about 30 minutes (for a crustier top, uncover after 15 minutes and continue baking).

SEAFOOD GUMBO

Steps:

• Combine the red, white, and black peppers, paprika, thyme, oregano, bay leaf, and salt; set aside.
• In a heavy pot, 5 quart or larger, heat oil over medium heat, warming the pot first. Add onions, celery, and green pepper. Turn heat to high. Stirring frequently, add garlic, file, hot sauce, and the pepper-herb mixture. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly.
• Add tomato sauce, and stir as it reduces over high heat. Add fish stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
• When ready to serve, add shrimp, oysters, and crabmeat. Cover, and wait 5 minutes. Turn off heat, and let stand for 10 minutes. Serve.

SHRIMP AND CRAB GUMBO

Steps:

• Shell and devein shrimp, leaving tail sections intact; reserve shells for stock. Break sausage into 1/2-inch pieces; in a skillet, cook over medium heat until all the fat has been rendered, about 8 minutes. Mix in onions, green peppers, okra, jalapeno, and file Cook until onions have softened, about 10 minutes. Add salt, pepper, and thyme. Reduce heat to low; cook 5 minutes more. Set aside.
• In a stockpot, melt dark roux over medium heat; heat shrimp stock in a medium saucepan over high heat. Gradually pour hot stock over roux, whisking to combine well. Cook over medium-low heat until mixture thickens, 6 to 8 minutes. Reduce heat to low, and add reserved sausage-and-vegetable mixture and tomatoes. Stir gumbo well, and let cook for 1 hour.
• If using whole crabs, cut them in half lengthwise, and add to gumbo. Cook 2 to 3 minutes. Add shrimp, and cook 3 to 4 minutes, or until opaque. Add crabmeat and parsley, and cook 2 to 4 minutes. Season to taste. Serve hot over dirty rice.

CHICKEN AND CRAB GUMBO LOW FAT

Steps:

• Heat oil in a big pot or Dutch oven over medium heat.
• Whisk together the flour and cayenned, then whisk into oil. Reduce heat to medium/low and continue whisking for a few minutes until the roux turns a golden colour.
• Add onions, celery, peppers and garlic. Cook 5 - 10 minutes until vegetables are wilted.
• Add broth, tomatoes, chicken, rice, salt, pepper and hot sauce. Cover and simmer 20 minutes.
• Add corn and crabmeat and simmer 5 minutes. Add green onions and summer 2 minutes longer.
• Adjust salt, pepper and hot sauce to taste.
• Note: You may add 1 cup sliced okra when you add the chicken.

SHRIMP AND CRAB GUMBO

Steps:

• In a 4-quart saucepan simmer reserved shrimp shells, bay leaf, and water, partially covered, 15 minutes and strain through a sieve into a bowl. Return shrimp stock to pan and keep warm.
• In a heavy skillet (preferably cast-iron) cook oil and flour over moderately low heat, stirring constantly with a flat-edged metal or wood spatula, until roux is a couple of shades darker than peanut butter, about 30 minutes. Stir in onion, bell pepper, and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened.
• Stir roux into stock and bring to a boil, stirring. Add crab legs and simmer, partially covered, stirring occasionally, 15 minutes. Stir in rice and tomatoes and simmer, stirring occasionally, 12 minutes.
• Transfer crab legs to a work surface. Cut shells open with kitchen shears and remove crab meat, discarding shells and cartilage. Tear crab meat into bite-size pieces and stir into gumbo. Add shrimp and simmer until just cooked through, about 3 minutes. Stir in scallion greens, cayenne, and salt and pepper to taste. Gumbo may be made 1 day ahead, cooled, uncovered, and chilled, covered.

CRAB 'N' SHRIMP GUMBO

Steps:

• In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Using a slotted spoon, remove to paper towels to drain, reserving 1 tablespoon drippings. In same skillet, saute onions and garlic in drippings until tender. , Pour into a Dutch oven or soup kettle. Add the tomatoes, consomme and water. Cover and bring to a boil; add the leeks, carrot and okra. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the shrimp, crab, salt and cayenne; simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes., In a small bowl, combine flour and cold water until smooth. Stir into gumbo mixture. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until slightly thickened. Stir in parsley and reserved bacon. Serve immediately with rice.

CRAB AND SHRIMP GUMBO WITH OKRA

Steps:

• Heat 1/2 cup oil in a large stockpot over medium-low heat until a pinch of flour sprinkled into the oil just begins to bubble. Whisk in the flour to form a thick paste the consistency of cake frosting. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until the flour is very dark brown and the color of melted chocolate, about 45 minutes.
• Reduce heat to low and add okra, onion, celery, bell pepper, and garlic. Cook, stirring constantly, until onions are translucent and veggies are cooked, 6 to 8 minutes. Add diced tomatoes, cover, and bring to a simmer.
• Meanwhile, heat 3 tablespoons oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add okra and cook, stirring constantly, until tender and no longer stringy or slimy, about 10 minutes. Add to simmering roux mixture and simmer over low heat, stirring frequently, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Add 6 cups water plus file powder, Creole seasoning, salt, pepper, cayenne, and bay leaves. Cook, uncovered, tasting a few times as it cooks to adjust spices and adding more water if necessary, until gumbo is as thick as you would like, at least 2 to 3 hours. The longer it cooks, the better.
• Stir in shrimp and crabmeat; cook for 15 more minutes. Ladle gumbo over hot rice in serving bowls.