Jean's Seafood Gumbo

Name: Jean's Seafood Gumbo
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 300 min
Total time: 345 min
Yield: 9
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 lb Shrimp (2 pounds fresh or frozen medium-size shrimp, in shells if possible, for stock); 12 pieces Dungeness Crab (1 dozen fresh or frozen blue crabs, cleaned and shells removed (substitute: 2 pounds fresh crabmeat, crawfish, oyster, or turtle)); 4 stalk Celery (4 stalks celery, chopped); ½ cup Parsley (½ cup chopped parsley); 2 pieces Green Bell Pepper (2 green peppers, chopped); 1 piece Yellow Onion (1 large onion, chopped); 1 cup Scallion (1 cup chopped green onions); 4 cloves Garlic (4 cloves garlic, chopped); 3 pieces Bay Leaves (3 bay leaves); 1 oz Tomato Concentrate (1 ounce tomato paste); 4 tsp Vegetable Oil (4 teaspoons vegetable oil or shortening); ½ cup All-Purpose Flour (½ cup flour); 2 tsp Table Salt (2 teaspoons salt); 2 tsp Black Pepper (2 teaspoons ground black pepper); ½ tsp Dried Thyme (½ teaspoon dried thyme); 1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce (1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce); 1 can Tomato (1 can whole peeled tomatoes, chopped); 1 can Tabasco Sauce (All the Tabasco sauce you can handle); 0 pieces Barbecue Seasoning (Creole seasoning to taste); 1 lb Sage (1 pound andouille, turkey, kielbasa or smoked sausage, cubed); 2 tbsp Filé Powder (2 tablespoons filé powder); 1 lb Okra (1 pound fresh or frozen sliced okra); 1 package Basmati Rice (1 bag Louisiana rice (or white rice))

345 minAmerican

Servings9

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Dairy Free
Pescatarian

Ingredients

For 9 servings

Shrimp2 lb · 2 pounds fresh or frozen medium-size shrimp, in shells if possible, for stock
Dungeness Crab12 pieces · 1 dozen fresh or frozen blue crabs, cleaned and shells removed (substitute: 2 pounds fresh crabmeat, crawfish, oyster, or turtle)
Celery4 stalk · 4 stalks celery, chopped
Parsley½ cup · ½ cup chopped parsley
Green Bell Pepper2 pieces · 2 green peppers, chopped
Yellow Onion1 piece · 1 large onion, chopped
Scallion1 cup · 1 cup chopped green onions
Garlic4 cloves · 4 cloves garlic, chopped
Bay Leaves3 pieces · 3 bay leaves
Tomato Concentrate1 oz · 1 ounce tomato paste
Vegetable Oil4 tsp · 4 teaspoons vegetable oil or shortening
All-Purpose Flour½ cup · ½ cup flour
Table Salt2 tsp · 2 teaspoons salt
Black Pepper2 tsp · 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
Dried Thyme½ tsp · ½ teaspoon dried thyme
Worcestershire Sauce1 tsp · 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Tomato1 can · 1 can whole peeled tomatoes, chopped
Tabasco Sauce1 can · All the Tabasco sauce you can handle
Barbecue Seasoning0 pieces · Creole seasoning to taste
Sage1 lb · 1 pound andouille, turkey, kielbasa or smoked sausage, cubed
Filé Powder2 tbsp · 2 tablespoons filé powder
Okra1 lb · 1 pound fresh or frozen sliced okra
Basmati Rice1 package · 1 bag Louisiana rice (or white rice)

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Steps

1Fill a 14-16-quart pot with two quarts of water and bring to a boil.
2Meanwhile, peel and devein the shrimp, keeping the heads and hulls. Set the shrimp aside in cold water. In the large "gumbo pot" boil heads and hulls for 30 minutes to an hour. This will give you Creole gumbo. Strain shrimp heads and hulls from stock and set aside. Discard heads and hull immediately. Otherwise, the next day your kitchen will smell like Bayou St. John.
3Clean the fresh crabs If the crabs are fresh, you must take time to clean them. Discard the hard back shell and some of the so-called "dead man," or yellow insides. Clean and separate crabs and set aside. (Note: If necessary, you can use meat from king, Dungeness, snow or stone crabs for your gumbo).
4Before you fire up the stove again, cut up your celery, parsley, peppers, onions and garlic, especially if you're alone and there is no one to help you stir the pots. It takes time peeling the onions and garlic
5Put the celery and parsley in a separate container from the other chopped ingredients and refrigerate until needed to keep them fresh.
6Place the gumbo pot with the shrimp stock on the stove.
7Add cleaned crabs and bay leaves. Stir slowly. You don't want your shrimp stock messing up the floor.
8Add celery, parsley, and tomato paste to the gumbo brewing on the stove. Bring to a boil. Turn down heat, cover, and let simmer.
9Here comes the roux -- a thick and flavorful sauce that has become one of the most important staples of Louisiana cuisine.
10Pour oil or shortening into a separate heavy skillet (please do not use a thin omelet pan) over a medium-low heat. Slowly stir in flour to make the roux. Keep your eyes on the skillet. If the phone rings, let the answering machine pick it up. Cook roux until it has a dark mahogany color. Do not stop stirring until roux appears nutty or grainy. If black specks appear, the roux is burned. Throw it out and start from scratch. A good roux could take 30 to 45 minutes cooking time.
11Now you are ready to add the holy trinity of onions, garlic, and green peppers to the roux mixture. Stir ingredients in slowly because the flour is still sizzling. The moisture will begin to disappear. This is when Jean would add another quart or two of water to the gumbo pot.
12Add roux to the gumbo pot. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Lower heat and cover. The kitchen should smell good right now.
13Pour yourself another cold something-or-other. You're halfway there. Come back to look and stir in an hour or so.
14Season to taste: add salt, pepper, thyme, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco sauce and any Creole seasoning you like. Don't overdo it right now.
15Let the roux work its magic absorbing all the wonderful ingredients. Gumbo is usually very spicy, but you can keep it mild. Remember, if you have decided to use andouille sausage it is also hot.
16Fry sausages and okra with a little bit of the leftover grease.
17Sprinkle a little leftover flour if the okra is fresh.
18Add to gumbo pot.
19Add chopped peeled tomatoes, stirring until well blended.
20Add more water if necessary. The roux will keep it thick and tasty. Return to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Reduce heat and let simmer, uncovered, for 2 1/2 to 3 hours over low heat.
21Skim any excess fat.
22Add shrimp. Stir in slowly as you increase the heat one last time. It's time to stir in the fil powder. Cook another 20 to 30 minutes until the gumbo is thick. Taste and adjust seasonings one more time. Did I mention the rice? Seafood gumbo is served over Louisiana rice. Of course, you can substitute for your own favorite rice. Just plain old brown or white rice will do. Before serving, taste one more time and adjust seasoning. Turn off heat and remove seafood gumbo from the stove.
23To cool down the pot before serving, place it in the sink with a few inches of ice-cold water. If needed, add additional salt and Tabasco sauce. If you can see through the gumbo to the bottom of the pot, work on your roux next time.