Seafood gumbo recipe?

leemschu

we are doing a staycation this year so I am trying to cook some of the food we get on vacation. My wife usually gets gumbo at a place every year. I am going to try to make some for her. Any body willing to share some advice for this? 

SGH

leemschu said:

Any body willing to share some advice for this? 

Absolutely. First just a couple of questions. What kind of gumbo are you wanting to make? Seafood gumbo or chicken and sausage gumbo? Last and more to the point, are you proficient at making roux?

Gulfcoastguy

Gumbo has a recipe? Okay a few basics. You will need some sort of poultry to make stock from, chicken or a turkey carcass though I have heard of some using duck. Next you will need real pork sausage. The seafood can be shrimp, crabs or oysters and should be the last thing added. The holy trinity of green pepper, onion, and celery is needed. Either okra or file powder is needed, file is used it should be added just before eating. Of course to begin it all first you make a roux.

Gator_Fan

Not a true gumbo but it sure is good !
http://www.4you-withlove.com/2013/03/drunken-chicken-j-gumbos-inspired.html

ColbyLang

Typical seafood gumbo is made with a lighter roux than chicken/sausage. Make the roux. Sweat veggies (onion, bell pepper, celery) in roux. Looking for light brown on roux color (think paper bag). I add equal parts chicken broth to water. Melt the roux thoroughly. Add shrimp, crab meat and oysters. The seafood doesn’t take long to cook. Serve over rice......do not, I repeat, do not put tomatoes in your gumbo......

Carolina Q

If anyone knows gumbo, I suspect it's this guy. Not seafood, but informative. Good segment on roux too. Interesting to watch it turn from white to tan to dark brown. Gumbo starts at 21:12, roux at 29:05.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5XXU47q9js

Fred19Flintstone

What is this “roux” you all speak of and what section in the supermarket would I find it?

leemschu

SGH said:

leemschu said:

Any body willing to share some advice for this? 

Absolutely. First just a couple of questions. What kind of gumbo are you wanting to make? Seafood gumbo or chicken and sausage gumbo? Last and more to the point, are you proficient at making roux?

Seafood. What she usually gets has shrimp, oysters, and some lump crab. I have only made a roux once or twice before so I’m sure it could have been better.

ColbyLang

Fred19Flintstone said:

What is this “roux” you all speak of and what section in the supermarket would I find it?

Combined flour and cooking oil. Cooked over a medium heat. You can find it pre-cooked in jars in the South for sale at grocery stores. Store varieties have a tendency to be oily and a little darker than you’d typically use in a seafood gumbo 

RockyTopDW

look up John Besh's seafood gumbo recipe.  I make his chicken & sausage gumbo often, I prefer it over seafood gumbo.  this guy is from la & has several restaurants.  

Botch

ColbyLang said:

Fred19Flintstone said:

What is this “roux” you all speak of and what section in the supermarket would I find it?

Combined flour and cooking oil. Cooked over a medium heat. You can find it pre-cooked in jars in the South for sale at grocery stores. Store varieties have a tendency to be oily and a little darker than you’d typically use in a seafood gumbo 

I made a large amount of roux just once (think it was one cup of flour and one cup of lard), and the instructions said to make sure to stir constantly lest it burn (black specks appear, and its ruined).  It came out good, medium brown and the gumbo was delicious, but it took 45 minutes and my wooden spoon burned about 4" up!  
I've read that you can shorten the process, and make it a bit more foolproof, by roasting the flour in a sheet pan in the oven (spread the flour as evenly as possible), and then add to the hot fat once its browned the desired amount.   I've never tried this, has anyone here?  
The shrimp etoufeè I made yesterday (separate post) did have a sort of roux in it, but he added 3 Tblspns flour to the 3 Tblspns butter after the onions/peppers were cooked, so It wasn't very dark at all, just got the raw flour taste gone.    

ColbyLang

Botch said:

ColbyLang said:

Fred19Flintstone said:

What is this “roux” you all speak of and what section in the supermarket would I find it?

Combined flour and cooking oil. Cooked over a medium heat. You can find it pre-cooked in jars in the South for sale at grocery stores. Store varieties have a tendency to be oily and a little darker than you’d typically use in a seafood gumbo 

I made a large amount of roux just once (think it was one cup of flour and one cup of lard), and the instructions said to make sure to stir constantly lest it burn (black specks appear, and its ruined).  It came out good, medium brown and the gumbo was delicious, but it took 45 minutes and my wooden spoon burned about 4" up!  
I've read that you can shorten the process, and make it a bit more foolproof, by roasting the flour in a sheet pan in the oven (spread the flour as evenly as possible), and then add to the hot fat once its browned the desired amount.   I've never tried this, has anyone here?  
The shrimp etoufeè I made yesterday (separate post) did have a sort of roux in it, but he added 3 Tblspns flour to the 3 Tblspns butter after the onions/peppers were cooked, so It wasn't very dark at all, just got the raw flour taste gone.    

I’ve heard of people using an oven and also a microwave. I’m a coonass. Magnalite pot and a wooden spoon here. For your etoufee’, the roux wasn’t used as the base, more of just a thickening agent. Like using cornstarch to thicken a brown gravy

nolaegghead

I make roux in the oven.  SWMBO does it the old fashioned way with constant stirring in a cast iron pan on the stove top.

https://www.southernkitchen.com/recipes/soup/oven-roux

The oven method slows everything down do you're less likely to burn it.

There are no hard rules about what goes in gumbo.  It's whatever you have/like/want in it, in a broth thickened by roux.  There are plenty of styles and lots of history you can follow.