Double Roux Cajun Seafood Gumbo

GOOD NEW ORLEANS CREOLE GUMBO

Steps:

• Make a roux by whisking the flour and 3/4 cup bacon drippings together in a large, heavy saucepan over medium-low heat to form a smooth mixture. Cook the roux, whisking constantly, until it turns a rich mahogany brown color. This can take 20 to 30 minutes; watch heat carefully and whisk constantly or roux will burn. Remove from heat; continue whisking until mixture stops cooking.
• Place the celery, onion, green bell pepper, and garlic into the work bowl of a food processor, and pulse until the vegetables are very finely chopped. Stir the vegetables into the roux, and mix in the sausage. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium-low heat, and cook until vegetables are tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat, and set aside.
• Bring the water and beef bouillon cubes to a boil in a large Dutch oven or soup pot. Stir until the bouillon cubes dissolve, and whisk the roux mixture into the boiling water. Reduce heat to a simmer, and mix in the sugar, salt, hot pepper sauce, Cajun seasoning, bay leaves, thyme, stewed tomatoes, and tomato sauce. Simmer the soup over low heat for 1 hour; mix in 2 teaspoons of file gumbo powder at the 45-minute mark.
• Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons of bacon drippings in a skillet, and cook the okra with vinegar over medium heat for 15 minutes; remove okra with slotted spoon, and stir into the simmering gumbo. Mix in crabmeat, shrimp, and Worcestershire sauce, and simmer until flavors have blended, 45 more minutes. Just before serving, stir in 2 more teaspoons of file gumbo powder.

EASY SEAFOOD GUMBO RECIPE

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a large dutch oven or stock pot over medium/high heat.
• Whisk in the flour and continue whisking until the mixture starts to turn golden brown and smell nutty, approximately 3-4 minutes. (Do not stop whisking or the roux will burn.)
• Stir in the onion, bell pepper and celery. Continue cooking for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly, until the vegetables begin to soften.
• Add the sausage to the pot and stir to combine. Cook for 1 minute longer.
• Stir in the garlic, mustard, cayenne, garlic powder, creole seasoning and file powder. Cook for 1 minute longer, stirring constantly and scraping up any brown bit on the bottom of the pan.
• Slowly add the chicken stock to the pot stirring to combine. Bring the soup to a boil.
• Turn the heat to low. Stir in the shrimp and oysters with oyster liquor (juices). Add the bay leaf, salt and pepper to the soup and stir to combine.
• Simmer for 10 minutes or until the soup begins to thicken. Stir in the crabmeat.
• Serve the seafood gumbo over rice, if desired. Sprinkle with chopped green onions and parsley for an extra pop of color.

NEW ORLEANS GUMBO WITH SHRIMP AND SAUSAGE

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large dutch oven or a heavy bottom pot over medium-high heat. Whisk in the flour until combined and smooth. Switch to a wooden spoon and continuously stir for 15-22 minutes or until the roux darkens to just past a deep peanut butter color. Do not let the roux burn! (if you smell it burning, you will need to throw is out, clean the pot, and start over, unfortunately there's just no saving burnt roux!)
• Once the roux reaches that deep rich brown color, stir in the onions, bell peppers, and celery and continue to cook, stirring as needed so the vegetables don't stick. About 8-10 minutes or until the veggies soften. Add the garlic, andouille sausage (if using tofurky, do not add yet), and bay leaves. Continue to cook for an additional 1-2 minutes until the garlic is nice and fragrant.
• Add the cajun seasoning, tabasco sauce, and cayenne along with the chicken broth and stewed tomatoes and bring to a high simmer before lowering the heat to medium-low, covering and simmering for 15-20 minutes.
• IF USING TOFURKY: Add a teaspoon of oil to a skillet over medium high heat. Add the slices and cook for a quick 90 seconds (turning half way) just to sear the outside before adding to the gumbo.
• Add the shrimp and tofurky (if using) to the gumbo, give it a stir and allow to continue to simmer for an additional 10-15 minutes or until the shrimp is opaque and the veggies have softened. Taste and season with salt and pepper as desired. Add the gumbo filé and stir. Remove bay leaves before serving.
• TO SERVE: Serve warm with white rice or quinoa with sliced scallions on top.

DARK MICROWAVE CAJUN ROUX

Steps:

• 1. In a large microwave safe bowl, mix cooking oil and flour. Mix Well. Note, the mixture will boil over, so be sure to use a deep bowl.
• 2. Place in center of microwave and cook for 6 minutes on high then stir. Keep cooking at 6 minutes intervals and stir until mixture turns a deep chocolate brown.
• 3. Cook and stir in 1 minute intervals until roux turns a deep chocolate brown. Watch closely as it will start to burn. Caution, this is VERY hot.
• 4. Once roux is cool, store in refrigerator and use as needed. You may double this recipe. I keep it on hand to thicken gravy or to make dishes like my Shrimp Stew, Gumbo or Corn Beefed Hash.

CAJUN CHICKEN AND SAUSAGE GUMBO

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. When hot, whisk in flour. Continue whisking until the roux has cooked to the color of chocolate milk, 8 to 10 minutes. Be careful not to burn the roux. If you see black specks in the mixture, start over.
• Stir onion, bell pepper, celery, and sausage into the roux; cook 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook another 5 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, and Creole seasoning; blend thoroughly. Pour in the chicken broth and add the bay leaf. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer, uncovered, for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Stir in the chicken, and simmer 1 hour more. Skim off any foam that floats to the top during the last hour.

DOUBLE ROUX CAJUN SEAFOOD GUMBO

Steps:

• Light Brown Cajun Roux: In a black iron pot or skillet, heat the oil over medium high heat to approximately 300 degrees F.
• Using a wooden roux spoon, slowly add the flour, stirring constantly until the roux is peanut butter in color, approximately two minutes. Reserve Light Brown Cajun Roux at room temperature.
• Dark Brown Cajun Roux: Proceed as you would in the light brown Cajun roux recipe but continue cooking until the roux is the color of a light caramel. This roux should almost be twice as dark as the light brown roux but not as dark as chocolate.
• When dark brown Cajun roux is done add the onions, bell pepper, celery, and garlic. Sauté until the onions become translucent and the vegetables are tender. Add the tomatoes. Add the smoked andouille or smoked sausage and the seasonings, and about ½ teaspoon each of salt and pepper, and continue to cook another 10 minutes.
• Fry okra with a small amount of grease and salt until okra is soft. (Avoid sticking.) Stir okra into gumbo and cook for another 15 minutes, and then add the stock. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to simmer and cook another 30 minutes.
• With the gumbo on very low heat, add the Light Brown Cajun Roux and tomato paste. You'll find the greatest success when whisking the cool roux (that's room temperature cool, not refrigerator cool) into the hot gumbo. Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer for 10 minutes.
• ----------> Freeze here for future use (if desired).
• Add blue crabs. Remove the hard top shell from the crabs (reserving for stuffed crabs or for shellfish stock), and break each crab in two down the middle. Remove the claws. Add to the stock.) Simmer for 10 minutes,.
• Add the shrimp 10 minutes before serving.
• Add the oysters and oyster liquor 5 minutes before serving.
• Add the crabmeat just before serving (don't cook the crabmeat, just stir until it is heated through).
• Add additional Shrimp Stock (or chicken broth) if gumbo is too thick.
• Taste and correct seasonings.
• Place about 1/2 to 2/3 cup of rice in each bowl and ladle the gumbo over and around it. Serve with plenty of French bread and good beer or white wine.
• YIELD: About 16-18 entrée servings or 28-34 appetizer servings (omit hard shell crabs if serving cups of gumbo as an appetizer).

LOUISIANA GUMBO ROUX

Steps:

• Mix all purpose flour and cooking oil to a peanut butter consistency.
• Spread about 3/4" thick in a baking dish.
• Bake at 350 until dark brown. (Be careful not to burn it! If you do, throw it out. It will be bitter).
• When done, add roux to 3 quarts boiling water. (Approx. 2 tablespoons roux to 1 quart of water).
• Add all remaining ingredients and your roux is complete!
• Double or triple the recipe if desired. Roux can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator or freezer for weeks.