Sticking with the theme of last week with fish, decided to continue and drop a gumbo recipe on you all. Gumbo is funny thing. If you ask a Louisianan or Cajun(respectively) who makes the best gumbo, they usually say their mom or grandma and it has been made the same way for YEARS. Ask them if anyone from out west or up north in the US can make gumbo and they may laugh. But what it "boils" down to is this. Whoever YOU think makes the best gumbo....is who makes the best gumbo. With that said, let's get to it!
*This recipe calls for fish stock. You can usually find this in the soup/sauces/ethnic/seafood sections of your grocery store. If however you are going to be making fish stock from scratch, use a NON oily fish. Here is a good link to help compare oily vs non oily fish https://www.weightlossresources.co.uk/diet/healthy_eating/oily_fish.htm
To make it simple, just take the bones of the fish, add water(slightly more than what the recipe call for) and some aromatic seasoning such as thyme and tarragon and let it simmer for about 45 mins. Strain to remove all bones, herbs, junk. Set aside for recipe.
Seafood Gumbo
Recipe makes about 1 gallon or 3.75 liters so adjust for you serving needs. Usually 1/2 of this recipe is good but this is how my notes have it written.
2lb shrimp 26/30 or 31/35
10 crabs cut in 1/2 **see below
12 oz yellow onions medium dice
6 oz carrots medium dice
6 oz celery medium dice
4 oz butter
1 gallon fish stock
1/2 oz seafood seasoning
salt and cayenne pepper to taste
6 slices bacon chopped
4 oz onions fine diced
2 oz celery fine diced
2 oz green peppers find dice
2 TBLS garlic minced
2 tsp thyme dried
2 tsp basil dried
2 tsp oregano dried
2 tsp marjoram
1 bay leaf
8 oz roux(use 1/2 part beer/lager for a distinct yeast/bready flavor)
8 oz tomato conasse - http://allrecipes.com/recipe/229446/tomato-concasse/
1 lb okra sliced 1/2 inch thick
2 TBLS vegetable oil, more as needed
8 oz cooked long grain rice, or rice of your liking
Worcestershire sauce as needed
Tobasco sauce as needed
**you can substitute the crab for 1lb of actual meat weight of mussels. Previously cooked and de-shelled and added at step 8 thus by-passing step 2.
1. Peel, devein, and dice the shrimp into 1/2 inch pieces. Save the shells and tails and place aside separately.
2. Saute the shrimp shells, whole crab, medium diced onions, carrots, celery in the butter until the shells turn bright red.
3. Add the fish stock, seafood seasoning, salt and cayenne pepper to taste. Simmer for 45 minutes or until the broth is intense and flavorful. Strain and set aside.
4. Pick all the crab meat from the shells and set aside. Discard shells.
5. Lightly cook and simmer bacon until soft(no browning) and add the fine diced celery, green peppers, onions, garlic and dried herbs. Saute until the onions and lightly golden.
6. Add the broth and bring to a simmer. Add the roux to thicken the soup and then add the tomato concasse.
7. Saute Okra in vegetable oil for 1-2 mins and add to the soup and cook soup until the okra is tender about 10-12 mins.
8. Saute shrimp and crab together in light vegetable oil until shrimp is cooked and add to soup. **mussels substitute here
9. Adjust flavor of soup with worcestershire, tabasco, salt and pepper.
10. Serve in a soup bowl with rice added on top and enjoy
*This recipe calls for fish stock. You can usually find this in the soup/sauces/ethnic/seafood sections of your grocery store. If however you are going to be making fish stock from scratch, use a NON oily fish. Here is a good link to help compare oily vs non oily fish https://www.weightlossresources.co.uk/diet/healthy_eating/oily_fish.htm
To make it simple, just take the bones of the fish, add water(slightly more than what the recipe call for) and some aromatic seasoning such as thyme and tarragon and let it simmer for about 45 mins. Strain to remove all bones, herbs, junk. Set aside for recipe.
Seafood Gumbo
Recipe makes about 1 gallon or 3.75 liters so adjust for you serving needs. Usually 1/2 of this recipe is good but this is how my notes have it written.
2lb shrimp 26/30 or 31/35
10 crabs cut in 1/2 **see below
12 oz yellow onions medium dice
6 oz carrots medium dice
6 oz celery medium dice
4 oz butter
1 gallon fish stock
1/2 oz seafood seasoning
salt and cayenne pepper to taste
6 slices bacon chopped
4 oz onions fine diced
2 oz celery fine diced
2 oz green peppers find dice
2 TBLS garlic minced
2 tsp thyme dried
2 tsp basil dried
2 tsp oregano dried
2 tsp marjoram
1 bay leaf
8 oz roux(use 1/2 part beer/lager for a distinct yeast/bready flavor)
8 oz tomato conasse - http://allrecipes.com/recipe/229446/tomato-concasse/
1 lb okra sliced 1/2 inch thick
2 TBLS vegetable oil, more as needed
8 oz cooked long grain rice, or rice of your liking
Worcestershire sauce as needed
Tobasco sauce as needed
**you can substitute the crab for 1lb of actual meat weight of mussels. Previously cooked and de-shelled and added at step 8 thus by-passing step 2.
1. Peel, devein, and dice the shrimp into 1/2 inch pieces. Save the shells and tails and place aside separately.
2. Saute the shrimp shells, whole crab, medium diced onions, carrots, celery in the butter until the shells turn bright red.
3. Add the fish stock, seafood seasoning, salt and cayenne pepper to taste. Simmer for 45 minutes or until the broth is intense and flavorful. Strain and set aside.
4. Pick all the crab meat from the shells and set aside. Discard shells.
5. Lightly cook and simmer bacon until soft(no browning) and add the fine diced celery, green peppers, onions, garlic and dried herbs. Saute until the onions and lightly golden.
6. Add the broth and bring to a simmer. Add the roux to thicken the soup and then add the tomato concasse.
7. Saute Okra in vegetable oil for 1-2 mins and add to the soup and cook soup until the okra is tender about 10-12 mins.
8. Saute shrimp and crab together in light vegetable oil until shrimp is cooked and add to soup. **mussels substitute here
9. Adjust flavor of soup with worcestershire, tabasco, salt and pepper.
10. Serve in a soup bowl with rice added on top and enjoy
I don’t think I would freeze this for the reasons you mentioned lol
