Swine Spectator
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It has been raining here for the past 5 days. Since I couldn’t cook outside, I decided to make seafood gumbo yesterday. In Louisiana people say that there are as many recipes for gumbo as there are cooks that make it. Like everyone else, I am highly opinionated on this subject.
For me, gumbo must have two thickening agents; Roux (flour browned in fat) and either okra or file’ (ground sassafras leaves). You see lots of recipes for “Shrimp and Andouille” or “Chicken and Shrimp” gumbos. I never put meat in a seafood gumbo because I think that meat overpowers the delicate flavors of the seafood. I only use okra with seafood and file’ with meats.
So here is yesterday’s cook:
I started by peeling 2 lbs of 16/20 count shrimp; reserving the shells for my stock.
I put the shrimp back in the fridge and put the shells in a pot with:
· 1 ½ Quarts of cold water
· ½ Lemon (squeezed)
· 6 Whole Allspice
· 6 Whole Cloves
· ½ Tsp Whole Coriander
· 2 Bay Leaves
I brought the pot to a simmer for 30 minutes and then I strained the stock and set it aside to cool.
Next, I got out my okra.
I like to fry my okra in a little oil to get rid of the sliminess.
I cut my veggies to make the “Holy Trinity” (Onions, Celery, and Bell Pepper). People use varying proportions. I find that I prefer a ratio of 3:2:1.
Now I had my “Mise en Place” and am ready to make the gumbo. As we say in Louisiana, “First you make a roux…” I mixed 2/3 cup of flour and 2/3 cup of oil (coconut) in my cast iron pot.
Stir, stir, stir… Until I have a medium brown roux:
Next I added the Trinity to arrest the cooking of the roux and sweat the veggies.
Once the veggies are soft, I add ½ Quart of cold water and the okra. I stirred until the water and roux are well blended. Then I added 3 cut up crabs, 2 bay leaves, and the shrimp stock and let it simmer for 3 hours. At the end of three hours, the gumbo had thickened nicely and the okra was obliterated.
I seasoned the gumbo to taste with:
· Salt
· Black Pepper
· Chili Pepper
· Garlic Powder
· Thyme
30 minutes before I was ready to serve, I added the remaining seafood:
· 1 LB Peeled Shrimp
· 1 LB Crab Meat (I prefer claw meat)
· 1 LB Crawfish Tails with Fat
While that simmered, I steamed some jasmine rice to serve with it.
...and here is last night's dinner:
Thanks for looking.
David
For me, gumbo must have two thickening agents; Roux (flour browned in fat) and either okra or file’ (ground sassafras leaves). You see lots of recipes for “Shrimp and Andouille” or “Chicken and Shrimp” gumbos. I never put meat in a seafood gumbo because I think that meat overpowers the delicate flavors of the seafood. I only use okra with seafood and file’ with meats.
So here is yesterday’s cook:
I started by peeling 2 lbs of 16/20 count shrimp; reserving the shells for my stock.
I put the shrimp back in the fridge and put the shells in a pot with:
· 1 ½ Quarts of cold water
· ½ Lemon (squeezed)
· 6 Whole Allspice
· 6 Whole Cloves
· ½ Tsp Whole Coriander
· 2 Bay Leaves
I brought the pot to a simmer for 30 minutes and then I strained the stock and set it aside to cool.
Next, I got out my okra.
I like to fry my okra in a little oil to get rid of the sliminess.
I cut my veggies to make the “Holy Trinity” (Onions, Celery, and Bell Pepper). People use varying proportions. I find that I prefer a ratio of 3:2:1.
Now I had my “Mise en Place” and am ready to make the gumbo. As we say in Louisiana, “First you make a roux…” I mixed 2/3 cup of flour and 2/3 cup of oil (coconut) in my cast iron pot.
Stir, stir, stir… Until I have a medium brown roux:
Next I added the Trinity to arrest the cooking of the roux and sweat the veggies.
Once the veggies are soft, I add ½ Quart of cold water and the okra. I stirred until the water and roux are well blended. Then I added 3 cut up crabs, 2 bay leaves, and the shrimp stock and let it simmer for 3 hours. At the end of three hours, the gumbo had thickened nicely and the okra was obliterated.
I seasoned the gumbo to taste with:
· Salt
· Black Pepper
· Chili Pepper
· Garlic Powder
· Thyme
30 minutes before I was ready to serve, I added the remaining seafood:
· 1 LB Peeled Shrimp
· 1 LB Crab Meat (I prefer claw meat)
· 1 LB Crawfish Tails with Fat
While that simmered, I steamed some jasmine rice to serve with it.
...and here is last night's dinner:
Thanks for looking.
David
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