Creole Seafood Gumbo

I love Creole and Cajun food. It’s part of my heritage, from my mother’s side. And gumbo, well, that is just a dish all unto itself. It’s a New Orleans and Southern classic. Gumbo is the defining dish of both Louisiana as a whole, and New Orleans, specifically. It is also very popular in Southeast Texas, where my mother was from too. It is a blend of all of Louisiana’s history mixed together in one pot. There are so many different versions and ways to make it. This is but one of an endless array of delicious gumbo recipes and styles. Gumbo is popular in the southern United States, parts of Africa and the Middle East, the Caribbean, and South America.

The word gumbo comes from the West African word quingombo or ki’ngombo, which literally means okra. Okra is a is a popular hot-weather vegetable throughout the world, integral to many cuisines like Ethiopian, Egyptian, and more. Sometimes it is known as lady’s fingers. It is a good source of minerals, vitamins, antioxidants, and fiber. It contains a sticky juice that people use to thicken sauces. Okra has a mild taste and a unique texture, with a peach-like fuzz on the outside. Inside the pod are small, edible seeds.

I just felt like making a gumbo last night. It was a cold and rainy and a perfect day for some delicious gumbo and hush puppies. My cousins in Southeast Texas all wanted to come join us for dinner. I wish they could have. We would have had a great time. But, they could only enjoy it vicariously through pictures. That’s OK too. 🙂

Creole Seafood Gumbo

Southern cooking is known for just throwing whatever you have into the pot. That’s how my Aunt Gloria taught me how to cook too, many, many years ago. That means recipes will change every time you cook them, depending on what you have on hand at the time of cooking. So there are no right or wrong ways to make Creole or Cajun food; just as long as you start with the Holy Trinity – onions, green bell peppers and celery, often times a different roux too.

1 cup +3 TBSP oil – vegetable or olive oil, or a combination of the two

1 onion, diced

1 green bell pepper, diced

3 celery stalks, diced

1 TBSP garlic

1 can chicken broth

water or more broth as needed

1 1/2-2 lbs large shrimp, peeled sand deveined

1 tin crab meat

3-4 sausages, par cooked and sliced

2-3 large tomatoes, diced

1 bag frozen okra, or 1 lb fresh okra, diced

salt to taste

1-2 tsp cayenne pepper, or to taste

2-3 tsp Tabasco sauce

1 cup flour

2-3 bay leaves

1-2 tsp Creole/Cajun seasoning

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp thyme

Par cook the sausage in a large pot with about 3 TBSP of oil. When the outsides of the sausages are browned all around, remove them and let cool a bit. Add the Holy Trinity of vegetables and garlic and cook at high heat for about 3-5 minutes.

Once the onions start to soften and just turn brown, add the tomatoes and okra, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for an additional 3-5 minutes.

Add the stock, the seasonings and bay leaves. Once again, bring to a boil at high heat, cover then reduce to a simmer once more, and simmer for about 10 minutes stirring frequently.

Add the shrimp and sausage slices, cover and once again, simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently.

Make the roux while the pot is simmering. This particular recipe called for a roux that was cooked to the color of a walnut. The roux is the oil and flour cooked at a high heat, stirring constantly until it get s to the color and consistency you want. Different colors of the roux will provide different flavors and different textures. The darker it gets, the nuttier the flavor. the consistency also changes as the color changes. Darker colors of roux are not as thick as lighter colors.

Once the roux gets to the right color and consistency, add it to the pot and mix together thoroughly.

I added the crab first though.

Once everything is mixed together, once again simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring frequetly.

Serve it in a large bowl over cooked rice, with some red beans and chopped parsley scattered on top. I chose white wine to go with the meal since it was primarily a seafood dish. Laissez le bontemps roulez. Bon appetite!

Have a great day and make everyday great. Life is short. Live life to the fullest and enjoy the ride. ‘Til next time.