This recipe is based on the Culinary Institute of
America's "The Professional Chef" Cookbook. However, this recipe has quite a
few modifications and additions to it and it came out very well. Not too spicey,
but still has that cajun kick. All of the seafood I bought for this was frozen
and from Trader Joe's. The recipe makes quite a large pot of gumbo and could
probably feed 8 people, quite possibly with some leftover, depending on
appetites. I also made a loaf of sourdough bread to dip into the gumbo.
For
the broth:
4 Tablespoons butter
1 large onion
3 carrots, peeled and diced
3 celery stalks, diced
2 teaspoons of seafood seasoning, such as Old Bay
reserved shrimp shells (see below)
1 gallon of fish stock (16 cups) - I did not have fish stock nor could I find it
in the stores, so I used 8 cups of chicken broth, 4 cups of beef broth, 2 cups
of vegetable broth, and 2 cups of water (to total one gallon)
In a large pot, melt the butter and add the shrimp shells, lobster tails and
crabs (only if whole and fresh), celery, carrots and onion, then saute until the
shells turn bright red, about 10 minutes. Add the stock and seafood seasoning
and simmer for about 45 minutes. Strain and reserve the broth.
For the Roux:
2 sticks of butter
1 1/2 cups flour
Heat the butter over medium high heat in a nonstick sauce pan until melted.
Gradually whisk in the flour until it forms a paste and continue to whisk
constantly until the roux turns brown, the color of a penny. This will probably
take 15 minutes.
For the Gumbo:
1 lb of shrimp, peeled, deveined and chopped (reserve shells)
1 lb of langostino tails or lobster tails (if you can't find these or don't want
to use the tails, just use two pounds of shrimp)
8 oz of Trader Joe's canned crab meat (if you cannot find this, purchase about 2
lbs of fresh crabs)
1 lb of andouille sausage, chopped
4 slices of bacon, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1 cup celery, chopped
1 cup green pepper, chopped
2 tablespoons of chopped garlic
2 teaspoons of dried thyme
2 teaspoons of dried marjoram
2 teaspoons of dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper (or more, depending on your taste)
1 16 oz can of pureed tomatoes
1 lb of frozen sliced okra
4 cups of cooked rice
If you used fresh crabs and lobster tails, crack and peel them and pick out the
cooked meat. Reserve the meat and discard the shells.
Cook the rice and set aside for serving with the gumbo.
In a large pot or dutch oven, cook the bacon and andouille sausage over medium
high heat until they begin to brown, about 8 minutes. Add the onions, celery,
green peppers, garlic and dried herbs, and saute until the onions are lightly
browned, about 10 minutes. Add the broth and bring to a simmer. Thicken the
soup by adding the roux, then add the pureed tomatoes and sliced okra. Simmer
for about another 10 minutes. Add the diced shrimp, langostino or lobster tails,
and crab meat. Season with approximately 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce
and a dash of tabsco and let simmer until the shrimp is cooked through, about 8
more minutes. Place 1/2 cup of rice in individual bowls and ladle gumbo over
rice. Serve with Worcestershire and tabasco as accompaniments.