Best Seafood Gumbo Evah....

[duckman]

True Cajun Seafood Gumbo

Passed down from a lifelong Cajun friend of my friend my father's, best gumbo he has ever had anytime, anywhere....

Ingredients:
10-12 lbs. Shrimp (20-30 count)
3 Whole Crabs
2-3 lbs Lump Crab Meat
1 can Rotel
1 small bottle La. Hot Sauce
1 package Dried Shrimp (if available)
1 small can Tomato Paste
2 1/2 Gallons of water
1 whole head Celery
1 tsp black 1 tsp red pepper
3 tbsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
(You can substitute 4 tbsp Cajun Seasoning for the pepper, salt, garlic mix above)
8 Green Onions
1 med Vidalia Onion
1 Bell Pepper
5 lbs. All Purpose Flour
1 pint Olive Oil
3 pkgs (2-3 lbs.) Okra
Preparation:
Roux: Combine flour and oil, brown in large skillet until DARK.
Edit: Left out a step, the seasoning mix!!! Combine seasoning mix with Celery, Bell pepper and onion in blender before adding to boiling roux/water!!!!
Boil water + 3 Tbsp salt, when water comes to boil begin to add roux until you reach desired thickness (excess roux can be frozen and used for another batch)
Boil until roux breaks up then add seasoning, tomato paste, rotel and 1/2 bottle La. Hot Sauce. After 1 hour add okra (sliced).
Boil another hour then add Shrimp, Crabs and Lump Crab Meat.
Boil additional 30 mins
Remove from heat, you can add oysters at this point if desired.
Serve with rice and file'
Takes patience but this is seriously bad ass gumbo!!!

[Wildhog]

I'll have to compare this to my MiL's recipe.  She's from NOLA and is an AMAZING cook.

[DeltaBoy]

Sounds good.

[Dillar Dog]

Way too much work.  I'll stick with mine.

[duckman]

Try it...

[Boarcephus]

Try it...

it's too big man. 10-12 pounds of shrimp, 5 pounds of flour, that's way more than I'm interested in making at once.  I'd have to buy all skillets, pots and stuff just to try it.  I'll keep mine because it's great and and it fits in a 6 quart dutch oven.

[duckman]

it's too big man. 10-12 pounds of shrimp, 5 pounds of flour, that's way more than I'm interested in making at once.  I'd have to buy all skillets, pots and stuff just to try it.  I'll keep mine because it's great and and it fits in a 6 quart dutch oven.

Just cut the recipe down, it is awesome....

[Dillar Dog]

I'm a traditionalist.  Too many bells and whistles.

[Boarcephus]

Here's a fairly simple recipe I've used for years that gets great reviews. 

Boil 4-5 chicken thighs the night before, put in fridge and save 8 cups of the broth and do the same.  Makes it easier to skim off the fat for use the next day and makes the gumbo a little less greasy.

In a 6 quart Dutch Oven sautee till done...
   1 medium to large onion
   1/2 stick butter
   1 pablano pepper
   1 TBS minced garlic
   2-4 ribs celery
   1 pound andouille sausage

When done stir in 3-4 TBS of flour, stir for a minute or so and add:
   8 cups of the chicken broth
   chopped meat from the chicken thighs
   1 can fired roasted tomatoes
   1 can okra and tomatoe
   1 TBS Louisiana Hot Sauce
   2-3 TBS Worcestershire sauce
   1 TBS Zatarains Creole Seasoning
   1 TBS Gumbo Filet
   Couple bay leaves
   1 tsp red pepper and white pepper
Instead of a roux, I've started using Zatarains Gumbo Base you can pick up at the Supercenter and along with the flour this gives the consistency I like. 
Simmer on the stove stirring occasionally for a half hour or so then add:

1 pound raw, shelled and deveined shrimp
1 small package of the small bay scallops
1 pound crawfish tails

simmer till shrimp are done then serve with rice. 

Actually better a couple days later.

[Dillar Dog]

I'm disgusted at what people think gumbo is these days.

Let's just be honest and call it soup.

[PorkRinds]

Here's a fairly simple recipe I've used for years that gets great reviews. 

Boil 4-5 chicken thighs the night before, put in fridge and save 8 cups of the broth and do the same.  Makes it easier to skim off the fat for use the next day and makes the gumbo a little less greasy.

In a 6 quart Dutch Oven sautee till done...
   1 medium to large onion
   1/2 stick butter
   1 pablano pepper
   1 TBS minced garlic
   2-4 ribs celery
   1 pound andouille sausage

When done stir in 3-4 TBS of flour, stir for a minute or so and add:
   8 cups of the chicken broth
   chopped meat from the chicken thighs
   1 can fired roasted tomatoes
   1 can okra and tomatoe
   1 TBS Louisiana Hot Sauce
   2-3 TBS Worcestershire sauce
   1 TBS Zatarains Creole Seasoning
   1 TBS Gumbo Filet
   Couple bay leaves
   1 tsp red pepper and white pepper
Instead of a roux, I've started using Zatarains Gumbo Base you can pick up at the Supercenter and along with the flour this gives the consistency I like. 
Simmer on the stove stirring occasionally for a half hour or so then add:

1 pound raw, shelled and deveined shrimp
1 small package of the small bay scallops
1 pound crawfish tails

simmer till shrimp are done then serve with rice. 

Actually better a couple days later.

I'm not sure you can call it gumbo without making a roux...

[Boarcephus]

I'm not sure you can call it gumbo without making a roux...

I quit making a roux years ago with this.  Found by adding the flour when I add it and the Gumbo Base I got the same (maybe a bit better) results.   I do know making a roux was great to do being hung over. 

[PorkRinds]

I quit making a roux years ago with this.  Found by adding the flour when I add it and the Gumbo Base I got the same (maybe a bit better) results.   I do know making a roux was great to do being hung over.

Blasphemy! Really though, I've never actually made gumbo.  Only seen it done.  And I'm not a seafood fan, so I've only really eaten chicken and sausage gumbo. 

[Boarcephus]

Blasphemy! Really though, I've never actually made gumbo.  Only seen it done.  And I'm not a seafood fan, so I've only really eaten chicken and sausage gumbo. 

Consider yourself lucky you don't like seafood!    You start adding a pound of crawfish at about $17 a pound, shrimp and scallops, it's not hard to get a pot of gumbo up to $40-50.  I enjoy gumbo but made it so often a few years ago I got a little tired of it but I'm starting to get the urge to make it again. 

[nwahogs]

it's too big man. 10-12 pounds of shrimp, 5 pounds of flour, that's way more than I'm interested in making at once.  I'd have to buy all skillets, pots and stuff just to try it.  I'll keep mine because it's great and and it fits in a 6 quart dutch oven.

It barely fits.