Old Louisiana Seafood Gumbo

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.

REAL CAJUN SEAFOOD GUMBO (FROM A LOUISIANIAN)

Steps:

• In a 7-quart cast iron dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat.
• Sprinkle in flour and, using a wire whisk, stir constantly until brown roux is achieved. Do not allow roux to scorch. Should black specks appear in roux, discard and begin again.
• Once roux is golden brown, add onions, celery, bell pepper and garlic. Sauté approximately 3-5 minutes or until vegetables are wilted.
• Add andouille, blend well into vegetable mixture and sauté an additional 2-3 minutes.
• Add claw crabmeat and stir into roux. This will begin to add seafood flavor to the mixture.
• Slowly add hot shellfish stock, one ladle at a time, stirring constantly until all is incorporated.
• Bring to a low boil, reduce to simmer and cook approximately 30 minutes. Add additional stock if necessary to retain volume.
• Add green onions and parsley.
• Season to taste using salt, pepper and Louisiana Gold.
• Fold shrimp, lump crab meat, oysters and reserved oyster liquid into soup.
• Return to a low boil and cook approximately 5 minutes.
• Adjust seasonings and serve over cooked rice.

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.

SHRIMP AND CRAB GUMBO

Steps:

• Enjoy!

SEAFOOD AND OKRA GUMBO

Steps:

• In a large nonstick skillet, heat 3 tablespoons of Vegetable oil over medium heat. Add okra and cook, stirring frequently for 25 to 30 minutes or until okra is lightly browned and no longer slimy.Remove from heat and set aside.
• While okra is cooking, make the roux.Heat butter and remaining vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy pot until butter is melted.
• Add flour and and cook and stir for 30 minutes, or until a dark brown color. Heat should be medium to medium-low. If the heat is too hot, the roux will burn and you will have to start over.
• Add onion, bell pepper and celery. Cook, stirring often for 8 minutes.
• Add garlic and cook 2 minutes.
• Add tomatoes, stock, bay leaves, salt, Creole seasoning, hot sauce, thyme, white pepper and okra. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to maintain a simmer. Simmer for 45 minutes uncovered.
• Add crab meat and parsley and simmer for 3 minutes.
• Add shrimp and cook for 2 minutes or until they are mostly pink.
• Add oysters and cook just until their edges start to curl, about 2 to 3 minutes.
• Serve with rice.

CHICKEN SAUSAGE & SEAFOOD GUMBO

Steps:

• Place a dutch oven or heavy bottomed stockpot over medium high heat. Add the oil and heat until very hot, oil will start to shimmer and have a moiré effect. With a wooden spoon, stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly until the color of the roux is a deep golden brown.
• Add the onion, celery, red, yellow and green bell pepper and garlic to the roux and cook for 3-4 minutes until the vegetables are softened slightly and tender.
• Stir in the cajun seasoning and cook for one minute until fragrant.
• Add the chicken and sausage and cook for an additional 4-5 minutes until the sausage is fragrant and chicken is cooked on the outside.
• Add stock one cup at a time, mixing after each addition, so that its well blended and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook with the lid slightly askew on the pot for 1 hour.
• Stir in the okra and simmer for half an hour with the lid askew on the pot, for steam to escape.
• Stir in the shrimp and oysters with their liquor and cook for 5 minutes, just until the seafood is cooked through, but not over-cooked. Remove from heat. Stir in the parsley.
• Ladle the gumbo into a bowl and garnish with white rice, scallions, parsley and hot sauce to taste.

SEAFOOD GUMBO

Steps:

• Peel and devein shrimp, placing shrimp shells in a large pot. Refrigerate shrimp until needed.
• In a large pot, melt 1/4 cup butter over medium heat. Add shrimp shells and cook until pink. Then add broth.
• Bring broth to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes. Remove from heat and keep warm until needed.
• In a large Dutch oven, cook sausage until browned. Remove sausage with a slotted spoon and set aside.
• Add oil and remaining 1/4 cup butter to Dutch oven. Heat over medium heat until butter is completely melted.
• Add flour and stir with wooden spoon until smooth.
• Reduce heat to medium low and cook, stirring frequently until roux is a dark caramel color. This will take 30 to 40 minutes.
• Add onion and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
• Add green pepper and celery and cook for 5 more minutes, stirring often.
• Add garlic and cook 1 minute.
• Add beer and stir in well.
• Pour shrimp stock through a fine-meshed sieve into Dutch oven. (I like to add it in 3 separate additions, mixing well between additions.
• Add Cajun seasoning, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, and bay leaves, plus the reserved andouille sausage. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 1 1/2 hours.
• Add green onions, parsley, and shrimp. When shrimp are pink, remove from heat and stir in crabmeat.
• Serve with white rice.

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.

AUTHENTIC NEW ORLEANS STYLE GUMBO

Steps:

• Make the Roux*: In a large, heavy bottom stock pot combine flour and oil. Cook on medium-low heat, stirring constantly for 30-45 minutes. This part takes patience--when it's finished it should be as dark as chocolate and have a soft, "cookie dough" like consistency. Be careful not to let it burn! Feel free to add a little more flour or oil as needed to reach this consistency.
• Brown the sausage. In a separate skillet on medium-high heat place the sausage slices in one layer in the pan. Brown them well on one side (2-3 minutes) and then use a fork to flip each over onto the other side to brown. Remove to a plate.
• Cook the vegetables in broth. Add 1/2 cup of the chicken broth to the hot skillet that had the sausage to deglaze the pan. Pour the broth and drippings into your large soup pot.
• Add remaining 5 1/2 cups of chicken broth. Add veggies, parsley, and roux to the pot and stir well.
• Bring to a boil over medium heat and boil for 5-7 minutes, or until the vegetables are slightly tender. (Skim off any foam that may rise to the top of the pot.) Stir in cajun seasoning, to taste.
• Add meat. Add chicken, sausage, and shrimp.
• Taste and serve. At this point taste it and add more seasonings to your liking--salt, pepper, chicken bullion paste, garlic, more Joe's stuff or more chicken broth--until you reach the perfect flavor. Serve warm over rice. (Tastes even better the next day!)

ULTIMATE GULF COAST GUMBO

Steps:

• Peel and devein the shrimp and place in the refrigerator. Place shrimp heads and shells in a large pot, and cover with 2 quarts of water. Cover, and simmer over medium-low heat until liquid is reduced by half. Strain out and discard shrimp heads and shells. Reserve shrimp broth.
• Heat oil in a very large stockpot over medium-high heat. Stir in flour with a long-handled spoon. Cook and stir for several minutes until dark brown and flour is puffing and absorbing the oil. Slowly stir in chicken broth and an equal amount of water. Place chicken in the pot. Add onions, celery, bell pepper, tomatoes, garlic, bay leaves, red pepper flakes, Old Bay seasoning, and salt. Boil until chicken is no longer pink and the juices run clear, about 1 1/2 hours.
• Remove chicken from the pot, and set aside until cool enough to handle. Remove and discard bones, and chop chicken into 1 inch pieces.
• Return chicken back to the pot, along with reserved shrimp broth, crab meat, sausage, and shrimp. Add the file powder, and stir from the bottom of the pot. When the gumbo comes to a boil, remove from heat. Continue to stir from the bottom for 1 minute. Serve.

LOUISIANA CREOLE GUMBO RECIPE

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients. Bring beef and chicken to room temperature before beginning the recipe.
• Make the stock. To a large sauce pan add chicken broth, shrimp shells, and outer crab shells (if using), cover, and set over medium-low heat. When it comes to a boil, adjust the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Simmer covered for 20 minutes and keep on low until ready for use.
• Make the roux. Add oil to a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat and sprinkle in flour while whisking. Continue whisking until it turns a milk chocolate color, 16 to 18 minutes. Don't walk away during this step.
• When the roux is ready, add the Trinity (the onion, celery, and bell pepper), garlic, and Creole seasoning. Sauté until onions are translucent, 6 to 8 minutes.
• Strain the chicken-seafood stock. Discard the seafood shells.
• Deglaze the gumbo pot with with half of the stock. Add the can of whole tomatoes, crushing each by hand over the pot, plus its liquid.
• Add Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, thyme, and bay leaf. Bring it to a boil and reduce it to a simmer.
• Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a cast iron pan over medium-high heat. Sear stew beef, in batches if needed, and move directly into the gumbo pot when done.
• In the same cast iron pan, sear the seasoned chicken thighs, skin-side down first, until golden on both sides, about 10 minutes total, moving them to the gumbo pot when done.
• In the same cast iron pan, add the okra to the rendered chicken fat, and season with salt and pepper and/or more Creole seasoning.
• Sauté okra until verdant and the viscous texture subsides, about 8 minutes. (This is known as "roping.") Add okra to the gumbo pot.
• Add remaining chicken-seafood stock to cover the ingredients. If the ingredients are not covered by the stock, add water.
• Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for 30-45 minutes, giving a good stir and taste every 15 minutes. Season with more Creole seasoning, salt, hot sauce, Worchestershire sauce, black pepper as needed for your taste.
• Remove thyme stems and bay leaf. Gently remove chicken thighs from the gumbo pot to a cutting board. Remove bones and skin, cut into rough chunks and add the meat back into the gumbo pot. If the thighs have fallen apart, just remove the bones (the same number of thighs you added) and the skins you can easily find.
• On a cutting board, crack cooked and cleaned blue crabs in half. Then, with a mallet or the back of the blade of a chefs knife, gently crack both joints of the claws. (see RECIPE VARIATION with lump crab meat below)
• Add crab and shrimp to the gumbo pot, cover, and simmer for 6 to 8 minutes.
• Prepare a serving over cooked white rice, making sure each serving gets at least half of a crab. Garnish with scallions and hot sauce(s) for diners to spice to their taste.