Louisiana Shrimp Gumbo Food

LOUISIANA SHRIMP GUMBO

Steps:

• Preheat a large, heavy-bottomed stockpot over medium heat.
• Pour in the vegetable oil and, when it's smoking hot, gradually and carefully whisk in the flour, forming a "roux." Continue stirring the roux, whisking constantly until it begins to deepen in colour. Be careful, it's very hot! This browning process weakens the roux's ability to thicken the gumbo, but it also adds lots of authentic, distinctive flavour.
• After 5 minutes or so, when the roux is a deep golden brown, add the Holy Trinity of Louisiana cooking: the onion, green pepper and celery. Add the garlic cloves and stir them for a few minutes until they've softened. Add the chicken broth and stir until it thickens. Add the sausage, shrimp, tomatoes, okra, herbs and spices. Taste and season with salt.
• Simmer until the sausages and shrimp are cooked through, about 10 minutes. Add the green onions. Serve immediately.

SHRIMP GUMBO

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Place the vegetable oil and flour into a 5 to 6-quart cast iron Dutch oven and whisk together to combine. Place on the middle shelf of the oven, uncovered, and bake for 1 1/2 hours, whisking 2 to 3 times throughout the cooking process.
• While the roux is baking, de-head, peel and devein the shrimp. Place the shrimp in a bowl and set in the refrigerator. Place the heads and shells in a 4-quart saucepan along with the 2 quarts of water, set over high heat and bring to a boil. Decrease the heat to low and simmer for 1 hour or until the liquid has reduced to 1-quart. Remove from the heat and strain the liquid into a container, discarding the solids.
• Once the roux is done, carefully remove it from the oven and set over medium-high heat. Gently add the onions, celery, green peppers and garlic and cook, moving constantly for 7 to 8 minutes or until the onions begin to turn translucent. Add the tomatoes, salt, black pepper, thyme, cayenne pepper, and bay leaves and stir to combine. Gradually add the shrimp broth while whisking continually. Decrease the heat to low, cover and cook for 35 minutes. Turn off the heat, add the shrimp and sausage and stir to combine. Add the file powder while stirring constantly. Cover and allow to sit for 10 minutes prior to serving. Serve over rice.

LOUISIANA SEAFOOD GUMBO

Steps:

• Coat a large heavy-bottomed saucepan with oil and cook the onions until translucent. Add the celery, garlic, bell peppers, and okra. Add the Roux and mix thoroughly to pick up all the excess oil in the pot.
• Next add the tomatoes and bring the mixture to a boil. When mixed, strain the Stock and add it to the pot, mixing thoroughly to prevent lumps. Cover with lid, bring to the boil and cook for 20 minutes. Clean the shrimp and saute in a separate pan to get rid of any excess moisture. When they have turned pink add the shrimp and crab to the gumbo. Cook for 10 minutes. Lastly, add lemon slices and chopped green onions
• Combine the ingredients in a separate pan. Brown on a medium high heat until it turns light brown.
• Combine ingredients in a large heavy bottomed saucepan. Bring to the boil and simmer for 1 hour.

CHICKEN & SHRIMP GUMBO

Steps:

• Heat a heavy cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the flour turns a deep golden color, 7 to 10 minutes. Transfer the flour to a plate and let cool. (There will be a strong aroma similar to burnt toast. Be careful not to let the flour burn; reduce the heat if flour seems to be browning too quickly.) Alternately, toast the flour in a pie plate in a 400 degrees F oven for 20 minutes.
• Heat oil in a heavy stockpot over medium heat. Add onion, bell pepper, celery and garlic; sauté until the onions are lightly browned, about 7 minutes. Stir in the toasted flour. Gradually stir in broth and bring to a simmer, stirring. Add tomatoes, okra, pepper, thyme, oregano, cayenne and bay leaf. Cover and cook for 15 minutes. Stir in rice and cook, covered, for 15 minutes longer.
• Add shrimp, chicken and sausage; simmer until the shrimp is opaque inside, the chicken is no longer pink and the rice is tender, about 5 minutes longer. Discard the bay leaf and season with salt. Ladle into bowls.

SHRIMP GUMBO

Steps:

• In a Dutch oven over medium heat, cook and stir flour and oil until caramel-colored, stirring occasionally, about 12 minutes (do not burn). Add the celery, green pepper and onion; cook and stir until tender, for 5-6 minutes. Stir in the broth, garlic, salt, pepper and cayenne; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 30 minutes., Stir in the shrimp, okra, green onions and tomato. Return to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer until shrimp turn pink, 10 minutes. Stir in file powder. Serve with rice.

LOUISIANA GUMBO

Steps:

• In a large (I mean large) stockpot boil chicken (completely covered by 2 inches of water), chopped okra, celery, sage, bouillon, oregano, black pepper until chicken is done. Remove chicken and set aside to cool, leave the stock in the pot. When cool debone the chicken and shred the meat. Set aside for now.
• Crumble sausage and fry in a skillet. Remove sausage and set aside. Reserve 1/2 cup of the drippings. Add flour and make a very dark roux (dark brown). Add the sausage and roux to the chicken broth and let simmer 10 minutes.
• Chop bell peppers and cayennes at this time. Add to pot and let simmer 10 minutes.
• Add shrimp, clam juice, crawfish tails to the pot and let simmer 15 minutes.
• Add the chicken and gumbo file to the pot and bring to a boil.
• I like to let this gumbo rest for a few hours and then reheat it before serving. Serve over rice with crackers and Louisiana hot sauce.
• This gumbo only gets better the next day. It freezes well to make a quick simple meal anytime.