Recipe from Jim Harris.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 pound green onions (shallots or spring onions)
- 6 pounds white onions
- 1 green bell pepper, seeds removed
- 1 red bell pepper, seeds removed
- 2 celery hearts
- 2 garlics
- 2 Cayenne peppers, seeds removed
- 5 ounces hot sauce
- 1 pinch cloves, ground
- 2 tablespoons Zatarain’s liquid crab boil
- 12-15 bay leaves
- 1/2 teaspoon thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon gumbo filé powder
- 3-6 rosemary sprigs, stems removed, finely chopped
- 1 pound okra, small and tender
- 48 ounces crab meat, pasteurized or fresh
- 8 pounds shrimp
- 1 pint oysters
- 4 cups canola oil
- 5 cups bleached wheat flour (not self rising)
- salt and pepper, to taste
Preparation:
Order of Business:
Peel the shrimp and save the shells.
Make the stock – Place the cleaned and deveined shrimp shells in about 3 gallons of water. Boil in a pot for about 1 hour. Add a little bit of thyme. Remove all the shrimp and crab shells from the stock. Use this as your supply of water for the gumbo when you begin adding water.
Cut all seasoning about 3/8 inches in size. If you cut the seasoning too small it will turn into liquid and ultimately look like soup because it will cook for about 10-15 hours on a low fire.
NOTE: All seasoning should be chopped and stock should be ready to go prior to proceeding to the next step.
Making the roux: This is probably the most important step of the entire process because it provides the basic flavor of the gumbo. It’s a very simple process to make but requires your full attention. (Jim prefers listening to some good Cajun music during this process along with a nice glass or two of wine).
a. Use two 8-cups measuring cups to prepare the roux. Put 2 cups of canola oil in each measuring cup. Add 2/5 cups of flour to each measuring cup. Mix the oil and the flour thoroughly. You’ll need the larger cups because as you heat the roux in the microwave, it tends to expand.
b. Cover the two measuring cups with paper towels and place them in the microwave oven on high. Cook for 3 minutes, then stir. Continue this process for two three minute intervals (so 6 minutes in total, cooking and stirring). At the end of 6-7 minutes, the roux should begin turning light brown. Cook for one minute intervals and stir after each minute. Do this until the roux in each measuring cup has a nice, thick melted chocolate look. If you don’t stir, the roux will burn.
Put the roux in a pot (about 4 gallons in size) on a high fire. Add the cut onions and celery first. Cook down and then add the other cut seasoning (not the hot sauce). Stir and add 2-3 cups of stock. Continue stirring and adding a cup of stock until you have a fluid, easy to stir mixture and the pot is about half full. Cover the pot and allow the seasoning to cook on a medium fire for about 10 minutes. Intermittently stir to prevent sticking to the bottom.
Add all the shrimp and some stock to get a fluid solution. Add the crab meat and more stock. The pot should be almost full. Turn the heat to high and bring everything to a boil. Then, cover the pot and turn to a low fire.
Rinse the pint of oysters with tap water. Put the oysters in a blender and juice them. Add to the gumbo and stir. This will give body, richness and flavor to the gumbo.
Add 5 ounces of the hot sauce and stir. The cooking process will take the heat out of the sauce, leaving it tangy and flavorful, but not hot. Bring to a boil and turn the fire to low and cook with the cover over the pot, stirring every 15-20 minutes.
By now, the gumbo should have been cooking for about an hour. Test for salt. You will probably need to add more.
Keep the pot covered and continue to cook on a low fire.
After the gumbo has cooked for 4-5 hours, the canola oil that did not go into the solution will begin to collect at the top of the gumbo. Carefully skim the oil off the gumbo. After this process has been completed, add the residual hot sauce and stir.
The gumbo should cook for another 12 hours on a low fire with the pot covered. Occasionally stir the gumbo. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Our family serves gumbo over fresh white rice, but you can serve it alone.
Enjoy.