Gumbo Recipe

• 2 pounds fresh or frozen shrimp, head on about 40-50 count per pound
• 2 blue crabs, fresh or frozen
• 3 quarts water
• 1 pound round sliced, fresh or frozen okra .
• 2/3 cup cooking oil
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 2 cups chopped onions
• 1 cup chopped green bell pepper
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 1 teaspoon garlic, finely chopped
• 1- 16oz. can chopped tomatoes
• 2 bayleaves
• 1/2 teaspoon of filé
• 2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper (or to taste)
• 1/2 teaspoon white pepper (or to taste)
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or to taste)
  
  

Peel and de-vein shrimp, refridgerate them for later. Rinse the shrimp shells and heads and crabs and put them in a pot with two quarts of water with a half teaspoon of salt. Bring the pot to a boil, reduce heat and simmer fo 30 minutes, allow to sit for 10 to 20 minutes. Strain and discard shells and heads. Put stock in a 2 gallon stock pot and set aside. Remove claw and put them in the stock. Remove top shell from crabclean pop the clean inner body in half and throw it into the stock as well leaving the smaller legs on is ok and will add to the flavor.

Prepair a roux in an iron skillet by adding 3/4 cup of quality cooking oil and 1/2 cup of all purpose flour. On medium heat move this mixture with a wooden spatula . The roux will slowly darken and must be constantly mixed until it becomes a rich brown color. The trick is to bring it to a dark toffee color without burning it. It's consistancy will be that of a dripping paste. At this point add celery and onions and move this mixture until the onions begin to carmelize and the celery becomes a bit translucent. Add the 16 oz. of chopped tomatoes, bay leaf and salt and peppers.

In another skillet sauté okra unlil it looses most of it's slimy texture. Browning it will add deth of flavor.

Peel and de-vein the shrimp, and set aside, covered in the refrigerator. Rinse the shrimp shells and heads, place in a non-reactive stock pot along with 2 quarts of water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 30 - 45 minutes to make a stock. Strain, discard the shells and heads and set the stock aside. Meanwhile, wash the crabs well under running water, place in a non-reactive pot with 1 quart of water, bring to a boil and simmer for 20 - 30 minutes. Strain, reserving stock and crabs. When the crabs are cool enough to handle, snap both claws off then break the body in half. Set aside. In a heavy bottomed skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of oil , add the okra and saute over medium high heat for about 10 - 15 minutes or until all the "ropiness" is gone. This step may take a little longer if fresh okra is used. Frozen vegetables are usually plunged into boiling water and blanched before freezing, so they are partially cooked.

Place the _ cup oil in a large (8 quart) heavy bottomed non-reactive Dutch oven type pot. Add the flour and, over a medium high fire, make a dark brown roux as described on page10. As soon as the proper color is achieved, add the onions, bell pepper, celery and garlic and saute, stirring occasionally until tender. During this process, allow the vegetables to stick to the bottom of the pan a bit, then scrape the bottom with a metal spoon or spatula. This allows some of the natural sugars in the onions to caramelize, rendering great depth of flavor. When the seasoning vegetables are tender add the tomatoes, bay leaves and the three peppers and a little salt. Cook for about 10 minutes, repeating the stick and scrape process with the tomatoes. Add the sauteed okra and cook for 10 more minutes. Add the crab stock and half of the shrimp stock to the pot. Stirring constantly, bring the pot to a boil. Lower the heat a bit, partially cover and simmer for thirty minutes, stirring occasionally. If the gumbo appears too thick, add more stock to adjust. Add salt to taste and adjust the pepper if desired. Add the broken crabs and simmer for about 10 minutes. Add the peeled shrimp, return to a boil and simmer until the shrimp are firm and pink, about 5 minutes. Remove the pot from heat. As is the case with most gumbos, this dish is best prepared either early in the day it is to be served, or even the day before, thereby allowing time for the flavors to marry. When reheating, stir often and be careful to avoid overcooking the shrimp. Serve in large bowls over steamed rice. This recipe will yield about six entrees or ten to twelve appetizers.