15ouncesfresh crab meat and/or crawfish, do not drain
½cupprepared roux - or homemade rouxsee Recipe Notes
1cupchopped yellow onion
½cupchopped celery
1cupchopped green bell pepper
32oz.chicken broth, low-sodium
15ouncesseafood stock , low-sodium
2driedbay leaves or 1 teaspoon of ground bay leaves
1teaspooncayenne pepper (see recipe notes), or to taste
1teaspoongarlic powder (see recipe notes)
1poundokra, chopped; (fresh or frozen)
salt and pepper, to taste
6cupsprepared long grain white rice
1bunchgreen onionschopped (for garnish)
ground gumbo file, to taste and as garnish
Homemade Roux
oil (vegetable or canola oil)
flour (all-purpose)
Instructions
First Things First
Get your shrimp prepped: buy fresh, raw shrimp, peel, devein, and season with a sprinkle of cayenne pepper; set aside
2 lbs shrimp
Next, chop the vegetables and set aside (this is The Holy Trinity)
1 cup chopped yellow onion, ½ cup chopped celery, 1 cup chopped green bell pepper
Now We're Cooking!
If you're making roux from scratch, get a large stockpot and add 1 cup of oil; heat on low to medium heat; sprinkle in 1 cup of flour and stir continuously with a wooden spoon; turn heat to low and continue stirring the mixture until it is is darker than peanut butter. (45-60 minutes)
oil (vegetable or canola oil), flour (all-purpose)
If you're using a prepared roux, add 1/2 cup of prepared roux to In a large stockpot on medium low heat; allow it to warm and soften a bit, stir it with a wooden spoon until it looks "melted"
½ cup prepared roux - or homemade roux
Add The Holy Trinity to roux and cook until vegetables have softened (about 5 minutes); the mixture will be clumpy at this point, but that's okay
1 cup chopped yellow onion, ½ cup chopped celery, 1 cup chopped green bell pepper
Add chicken broth, seafood stock, cayenne pepper, garlic and bay leaves to stockpot; allow to cook and combine until all lumps of roux are dissolved; cook on low, uncovered for at least 30 minutes(Gumbo tastes better if it simmers for a long time - like two hours, but if time isn't on your side, let it simmer a minimum of 30 minutes.)
32 oz. chicken broth, 15 ounces seafood stock, 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (see recipe notes), 1 teaspoon garlic powder (see recipe notes), 2 dried bay leaves or 1 teaspoon of ground bay leaves
Add okra to stockpot and cook for 10 minutes
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (see recipe notes), salt and pepper, 1 pound okra
Add seafood (shrimp, crawfish and crab meat) - include the crab meat juice; place lid on stockpot ; allow to simmer for 15-20 minutes, until all the seasonings have married and the shrimp is pink
Now it's time to make the rice. Place 4 cups white rice in large saucepan; add 6 cups of water; bring to boil, then reduce heat to simmer and place lid on rice; let rice steam for about 9 minutes
Once rice is done, place a heaping scoop of rice in a bowl, remove the bay leaves from the gumbo; top the rice with gumbo, garnish with green onions and sprinkle a little ground gumbo filé on top
salt and pepper, 6 cups prepared long grain white rice, 1 bunch green onions, ground gumbo file
Notes
Roux
Dark brown roux is the base of the gumbo. You can make your own or buy a jar pre-made. I use either Kary's or Bootsie's Roux--both from Louisiana. This cuts down on the preparation time immensely. However, if you choose to make your own roux, you'll need equal parts of oil and flour. Start with 1/2 cup each and increase if needed.
Homemade dark roux takes about 40-minutes to make, so if time isn't on your side, get the jarred version.
SeasoningsIf you don't have cayenne pepper or garlic powder, substitute with Tony Chachere's (or any brand) of Cajun seasoning mix. Start with 1 teaspoon and add more if you like. If you want a spicy gumbo, use Creole seasoning (Creole seasoning has more cayenne pepper than Cajun seasoning.)
Fresh crab meat is usually in the seafood section in a plastic container. If there's any liquid in the container, don't drain it. Add it to the gumbo, too!
Do not add gumbo filé powder until after you've poured the gumbo in a bowl
Gumbo tastes best after it has rested awhile:) Have a glass of wine and let it simmer on the stove before serving; add more seasonings if you prefer
Season the shrimp: optionalI sprinkle a few teaspoons of Cajun or Creole seasoning over the shrimp for extra flavor. This is optional.