Seafood gumbo. It ain't a recipe, it's dozens, if not hundreds, of recipes. There are so many different ways to make this dish, and it is made in so many different ways by so many Louisiana cooks and chefs, that it's almost futile to list one recipe here. I'm going to list a few, but please by no means think these are definitive. They're good gumbos, and good places to start off. As you learn more about Creole cuisine, feel free to experiment with different combinations of seafood, roux or no roux, filé or no filé, okra or no okra, tomatoes or no tomatoes (I don't like tomatoes in my gumbo, me ... but lots of Louisianians do). Just remember ... you CANNOT have a good seafood gumbo without a good seafood stock. Don't use water, and don't use bottled clam juice.Remember to use a non-reactive (non-cast iron) pot for any gumbo (or any dish, for that matter) that includes okra or tomatoes, as they will discolor.
These recipes can be cut in half if you don't want to feed an army.
Do NOT under any circumstances use imitation crabmeat, or surimi, in any of these crab gumbo dishes. If you tried that in Louisiana, you'd be shot on sight. If you try it elsewhere ... I'll know. And I'll come into your dreams and haunt you and you'll be devoured by alligators.
This gumbo uses a very small amount of roux, so that it remains light. You may even omit it if you like, and thicken the gumbo with filé powder only. Seafood Gumbo #1
In a large, heavy pot, heat the oil and add the flour. Stir constantly until a light brown roux is formed, then add the onions, bell pepper, celery and garlic. Sauté until the onions become translucent and the vegetables are tender. Add the tomatoes and tomato purée, and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes.
- 1/2 cup oil
- 1/2 cup flour
- 2 medium onions, diced
- 2 green bell peppers, diced
- 3 ribs celery, finely diced
- 4-6 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 tomatoes (or 8 Roma tomatoes), seeded and diced
- 1 cup tomato purée
- 2 pounds okra, chopped
- 4 quarts shrimp stock, crab stock or fish stock
- 1 tablespoon Creole seasoning blend
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
- 2 bay leaves
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 2 pounds medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 2 dozen oysters, freshly shucked, liquor reserved
- 4 blue crabs, cleaned (optional)
- 1 pound fresh lump crabmeat, picked over for shells and cartilage
- 2 teaspoons filé powder
- 8 cups cooked long-grain white rice
Add the seasonings, and about 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper, and continue to cook another 10 minutes. Add the okra, and cook for another 10 minutes, then add the stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer and cook another 30 minutes.
(If you wish a more rustic gumbo, you may add whole 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.) With the gumbo on very low heat, add the shrimp 10 minutes before serving, the oysters and oyster liquor 5 minutes before serving, and the crabmeat just before serving (don't cook the crabmeat, just stir until it is heated through). Taste and correct seasonings.
Add the filé powder to the gumbo if you don't intend to store leftovers (reheated filé becomes stringy) by mixing it with about a cup of the gumbo, then returning it to the pot. If you don't plan to finish the entire pot when you make it, sprinkle a little filé powder on each individual serving.
Place about 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 10-12 entrée servings or 20-24 appetizer servings (omit hard shell crabs if serving cups of gumbo as an appetizer).
Simple Shrimp and Crab Gumbo
Heat the oil in a large heavy pot and add the flour. Cook the roux, stirring constantly, to a light brown if you want it Creole-style, and to a dark, almost milk chocolate color if you want it Cajun-style. Just before the roux reaches the proper color, add the vegetables and stir like hell, being careful not to spatter yourself. When the vegetables are tender, add the stock, salt, and peppers. Stir until the roux is dissolved, and simmer over low heat for one hour.
- 1/2 cup oil
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1 bell pepper, chopped
- 3 ribs celery, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 gallon shrimp stock
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- Salt, freshly ground black pepper and cayenne pepper to taste
- 1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1 pound fresh lump crabmeat, picked over
- 1 pint fresh oysters with oyster liquor reserved
- Cooked white rice
Add the seafood about 5 minutes before serving, and cook over low heat just until the shrimp turn pink. Serve over rice.
YIELD: 10-12 servings.
Oyster Gumbo
Heat the oil in a large pot, add the flour, and cook the roux, stirring constantly, until it is a deep reddish-brown. Add the onion, bell pepper, celery and garlic. Cook, stirring constantly, until vegetables are tender.
- 1/2 cup oil
- 1/2 cup flour
- 2 cups chopped onions
- 2 cups chopped green bell pepper
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 gallon fish stock or shrimp stock
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 3 pints fresh oysters, with their liquor
- Filé powder to taste
- 6 cups cooked long-grain white rice
Add stock, seasonings and parsley. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer for 30 minutes over low heat.
Add the shrimp, oysteres and oyster liquor. Cook for 5 more minutes, just until the shrimp turn pink.
Place 1/2 cup cooked rice in a shallow bowl, and ladle gumbo over and around it. Sprinkle filé on each serving to taste.
YIELD: 12 servings.