I want to share a recipe BUT I will give a disclaimer first. I have never been to the great state of Louisiana and no nothing about Cajun cooking. I found this recipe to be a “keeper” but don’t want to offend any of my Cajun Freepers.
SEAFOOD GUMBO (made by a Marylander)
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup vegetable oil
4 cups chopped onion
2 cups chopped celery
2 cups chopped green pepper
1 cup sliced green onion and tops
4 cups chicken broth
8 cups water
4 cups sliced okra (I used frozen)
2 tablespoons paprika
1 tablespoon salt (adjust later if not enough)
2 teaspoons oregano
1 tsp black pepper (adjust later if not enough)
6 cups small shrimp or seafood of your choice
1 cup minced fresh parsley
2 tablespoons cajun seasoning
In a heavy Dutch oven, combine flour and oil until smooth. Cook over medium-high heat for five minutes, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to a medium. Cook and stir about 10 more minutes until mixture is reddish-brown. (**the color is truly a reddish-brown).
Add onion, celery, green pepper and green onions; cook and stir for 5 minutes. Add chicken broth, water, okra, paprika, salt, oregano, and pepper. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, covered, for about 10 minutes.
Add shrimp (or other seafood) and parsley. Simmer, uncovered, about 5 minutes or until seafood is done. Remove from heat, stir in Cajun seasoning (**note: I allowed people to add the seasoning to their own serving since I have to watch my husband’s sodium... do what your family needs). From the recipe, it says put in bowls; however, I put it over bowls of white rice. This recipe makes about 6 quarts of pure yumminess. Husband loved it and all of the kids did as well (even the one who says that “seafood is stinky and evil”)
The rouh(sp?) is the secret. Don’t burn the flour and oil.
Sounds good. I can see using J.O. instead of cajun seasoning. Of course, I recommend putting J.O. on everything. :-)
One small bone to pick; gumbo, by definition, begins with a chocolate roux. No chocolate required, one must stir the roux until it turns a deep chocolate brown. This takes 20-25 minutes over medium/medium-high heat.
A perhaps-useful tip: use ONLY a wooden spoon for stirring, and stir more or less constantly, else the roux will scorch (you'll see black spots in the roux, and you get to start over).
A tasty variation: use bacon fat or lard instead of vegetable oil. De flavour is mo' bettah, I gar-on-tee.
Also, there is NO requirement to use okra in a gumbo. You can make an okra gumbo easily enough, but the myth that okra is a required ingredient comes from -- of all things -- the NY Times crossword puzzle, c.1963.
Also, no garlic??? NO GARLIC??? Hoo boy, in Thibodeaux you gonna be de guest du honneur at a necktie party if you don' add de garlic.
But mebbe we make de exception for you folks from Maryland...(g!)
And add some nice fat oysters, fo' sho' (and de folks who don' have sodium problems should consider using oyster or clam broth instead of chicken broth; if you do, leave out the salt, there's already plenty in the o.b. or c.b.)