Best Gulf Coast Shrimp Gumbo Recipes

GULF COAST GUMBO

Steps:

• Bring the chicken stock to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the crayfish a little at a time so as not to stop the boil, and let cook until pink. Using a slotted spoon remove the crayfish and set aside until they are cool enough to handle. (Skim off and discard any impurities that have risen to the surface of the stock.) Now, remove the shells from the shrimp and add the shells to the pot of chicken stock, reserving the uncooked shrimp on a utility platter. Allow the shrimp shells to cook in the broth until pink, then strain the stock into another container and discard the shells.
• While the shrimp shells are boiling, heat the olive oil in a saute pan over medium-high heat. Brown the sausage and remove to a platter until it is cool enough to handle. In the sausage drippings over medium heat, saute the onion, celery, and green bell pepper until the onion turns translucent. Reduce the heat and whisk in the flour to make a roux, and let cook for about 15 minutes until it becomes a brown roux.
• While the roux is browning, slice the sausage into 1/4 to 1/2-inch pieces. Put the tomato paste in a small bowl and add some of the warm stock to make a slurry. Gradually whisk the warm stock and the tomato paste into the roux. Add the garlic powder, crushed red pepper, okra, 1 tablespoon parsley, scallions, red bell pepper, tomatoes and sausage. Cook over low heat until the okra - which contains a thickening agent - is tender, about 15 minutes, and the sausage is cooked through. While the mixture is cooking, remove the crayfish from their shells. (This is done by cracking the tail with both hands and forcing it back out through the curve of the tail.) Add the oysters and shrimp to the pot and cook about 5 minutes until the oysters are plump and the shrimp are pink. Stir in crayfish. Remove pot from heat and carefully fold in crab, trying not to break up the lumps.
• To serve, place some rice on serving dish and spoon some gumbo over. Sprinkle with file powder and garnish with remaining parsley.

GULF COAST SHRIMP GUMBO

Steps:

• Make a roux-heat 4 tablespoons oil in a medium, heavy skillet set over medium heat.
• When hot, add flour and stir constantly with a wooden spoon until the mixture thickens and turns a deep reddish brown, 6-8 minutes.
• Remove from heat and set aside.
• Add 2 tablespoons oil to a large heavy, deep sided pot set over med-high heat.
• When hot, add in onion, celery, carrot, and red bell pepper.
• Saute, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes.
• Add in garlic and cook, stirring for 1 minute.
• Stir in cayenne, thyme, salt, and pepper.
• Add stock, tomatoes, parsley, and bay leaves; bring mixture to a simmer.
• Decrease heat to low so that mixture stays at a simmer, then whisk in the roux.
• Simmer gumbo until vegetables are tender and mixture has thickened, about 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a large heavy skillet over med-high heat.
• When hot, add the okra and saute, stirring, until just lightly browned around the edges, 4-5 minutes.
• Add okra and sausage to the gumbo after it has simmered 20 minutes.
• Cook 1 minute to heat through.
• When ready to serve, add shrimp to the gumbo and cook until the shrimp curl and turn pink, about 3 minutes (do not overcook the shrimp).
• Taste gumbo and season with salt and pepper, if needed.
• If gumbo is too thick, thin it with extra stock to desired consistency.
• To serve, place about 2/3 cup rice in 6 shallow soup bowls and ladle gumbo over rice.

SHRIMP GUMBO

Steps:

• In a Dutch oven over medium heat, cook and stir flour and oil until caramel-colored, stirring occasionally, about 12 minutes (do not burn). Add the celery, green pepper and onion; cook and stir until tender, for 5-6 minutes. Stir in the broth, garlic, salt, pepper and cayenne; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 30 minutes., Stir in the shrimp, okra, green onions and tomato. Return to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer until shrimp turn pink, 10 minutes. Stir in file powder. Serve with rice.

GOOD NEW ORLEANS CREOLE GUMBO

Steps:

• Make a roux by whisking the flour and 3/4 cup bacon drippings together in a large, heavy saucepan over medium-low heat to form a smooth mixture. Cook the roux, whisking constantly, until it turns a rich mahogany brown color. This can take 20 to 30 minutes; watch heat carefully and whisk constantly or roux will burn. Remove from heat; continue whisking until mixture stops cooking.
• Place the celery, onion, green bell pepper, and garlic into the work bowl of a food processor, and pulse until the vegetables are very finely chopped. Stir the vegetables into the roux, and mix in the sausage. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium-low heat, and cook until vegetables are tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat, and set aside.
• Bring the water and beef bouillon cubes to a boil in a large Dutch oven or soup pot. Stir until the bouillon cubes dissolve, and whisk the roux mixture into the boiling water. Reduce heat to a simmer, and mix in the sugar, salt, hot pepper sauce, Cajun seasoning, bay leaves, thyme, stewed tomatoes, and tomato sauce. Simmer the soup over low heat for 1 hour; mix in 2 teaspoons of file gumbo powder at the 45-minute mark.
• Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons of bacon drippings in a skillet, and cook the okra with vinegar over medium heat for 15 minutes; remove okra with slotted spoon, and stir into the simmering gumbo. Mix in crabmeat, shrimp, and Worcestershire sauce, and simmer until flavors have blended, 45 more minutes. Just before serving, stir in 2 more teaspoons of file gumbo powder.

HUSBAND'S GRANDMOTHER'S SHRIMP GUMBO

Steps:

• Brown the sausage in a skillet over medium heat, discard the fat in the skillet, and drain the sausage slices on paper towels to absorb any excess grease. Set the sausage aside. Cook and stir the chopped bacon in the skillet until crisp, 6 to 8 minutes, remove the bacon, and set aside. Stir the okra into the hot bacon drippings, and cook and stir until the okra is tender, about 5 minutes. Drain the okra in a colander, and discard bacon drippings.
• Place the okra and diced tomatoes in a saucepan over medium heat, and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer the okra mixture for about 10 minutes.
• In a large soup pot, melt the butter over medium heat, and cook and stir the onion, green onions, green pepper, celery, parsley, and garlic until the onion begins to turn brown, about 10 minutes. Remove the vegetables but leave the butter in the pot. Stir in the flour, reduce heat to low, and cook the roux, stirring constantly, until it turns the color of milk chocolate, 30 to 45 minutes. Do not let the roux burn.
• When the roux reaches its correct color, whisk in 2 cups of water. Raise the heat to medium; stir in salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, thyme, and bay leaves, bring the mixture to a boil, and stir in the sausage, bacon, okra-tomato mixture, and 6 more cups of water. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer the gumbo, stirring occasionally, until the soup has thickened and the flavors are blended, about 45 minutes. Stir in the shrimp, and simmer until they turn pink and opaque, 6 to 8 more minutes. Discard bay leaves and adjust the seasonings, if desired, before serving.