Christmasontheriverseafoodgumbo Recipes

Steps:

• Make the roux: Combine the flour and vegetable oil in a wide Dutch oven over medium-low heat and cook, whisking constantly, until dark brown, about 45 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
• Bring 10 quarts water to a boil in an extra-large, wide pot. Stir in the onion, bell peppers and roux and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are very soft, about 45 minutes. Add the blue crab and lobster tail and boil until cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the lobster tail and crab; discard the crab. Let the lobster cool slightly, then remove the meat from the shell and cut into small chunks; refrigerate until ready to use.
• Add the Creole seasoning to the pot and bring to a boil; cook until the liquid reduces by one-quarter, about 1 hour, 30 minutes. Add the shrimp and cook over medium heat until firm, about 20 minutes. Add the crabmeat and reserved lobster meat and cook 10 minutes. Stir in the scallions and parsley and remove from the heat. Cover and let stand 30 minutes. Serve over rice.

Steps:

• Place shrimp shells and tails in a colander and run under cold water. Drain.
• In a medium pot, heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil over medium-high. Add shrimp shell mixture, 1/2 cup each onion and celery, and garlic cloves; season with salt. Cook, stirring often, until shells are pink and mixture is fragrant, 10 minutes. Add 10 cups water and parsley. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until flavors develop and stock has reduced to 8 cups, about 45 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a heatproof container.
• Meanwhile, in a medium pot, whisk together 3/4 cup each vegetable oil and flour to combine. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until roux smells toasted and is the color of butterscotch, about 20 minutes. Set aside. (Make sure to re-whisk roux before using, as it will separate when it cools.)
• In a large pot, heat 3 tablespoons vegetable oil over medium. Add remaining 1 cup onion and 1 cup celery, along with the bell pepper. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until softened, about 10 minutes. Add minced garlic and spices and cook until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes more. Stir in tomato sauce and shrimp stock. Bring to a simmer, then add in your roux, a few spoonfuls at a time, until combined. Taste and re-season if needed. Simmer, partially covered, about 1 hour. Add crab and shrimp and cook, stirring, until shrimp is just cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes.
• Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high until shimmering. Add okra and season with salt and pepper. Cook until softened slightly but still crisp and holding its shape, 4 to 5 minutes.
• Serve gumbo with chopped parsley, sauteed okra, rice, and hot sauce.

Steps:

• Combine the water, lemon, crab boil, and 1 tsp salt in a large Dutch oven; bring it to a boil. Add the shrimp, and cook for 3 to 5 minutes. Remove and discard the lemon and crab boil. Remove the shrimp, reserving the water. Peel and devein the shrimp; chill.
• Cook the bacon in a large skillet until crisp; remove the bacon, reserving the drippings in the skillet. Crumble the bacon and set it aside.
• Add flour to the drippings in the skillet; cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the roux is caramel-colored (about 5 minutes). Watch the temperature and adjust it according to your stove -- do not burn the roux or you will have to start over. Once the roux is caramel colored, stir in the onion, green pepper and celery; cook over low heat for 10 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.
• Add the roux mixture, ham, and the remaining ingredients EXCEPT rice, chilled shrimp and crumbled bacon to the reserved water in the Dutch oven. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer for 1 hour and 50 minutes. After about an hour and 40 minutes, start cooking your rice.
• Stir in the chilled shrimp and the crumbled bacon, and cook for 10 minutes. Remove and discard the bay leaves. Serve the gumbo over hot cooked rice. Garnish with sliced green onions and serve hot sauce on the side.