Saturday, October 16, 2010

Time for Seafood Gumbo! + A Cajun Two Step

There was a chill in the air this morning in Cajun country, and with dinner guests coming tonight, I thought, what could be more perfect than a big pot of seafood gumbo?! This is one of my favorite recipes that I have perfected over the years into a delectable, flavorful dish, chocked full of fabulous seafood, vegetables, and spices. When I tell you that it's the most sinfully delicious thing that you will ever eat, then you know that I mean it, cher! Oh, cest bon, cher!

Roux
1 stick butter
1/2 cup flour

First you make a roux. Melt butter in a large heavy skillet on medium-low heat. Slowly add flour and stir constantly with a spatula until a medium brown color is reached. Remove from heat and set aside. If roux looks too thick, carefully add a little water, because it will be very hot.

Note: ( How long it will take will depend on what kind of skillet you are using. I use a heavy cast aluminum or cast iron skillet , which will brown a roux in 10 to 15 minutes. A lighter skillet will take twice as long, and will have to cook on low heat.)  I also make roux in larger batches and store in airtight containers in the fridge or freezer, for use in other dishes. This is a real time saver.

Stock
3 tbs.'s vegetable oil
3 cups Cajun trinity, (onions, bell peppers, and celery), chopped
3 tsp.'s minced garlic
1/2 cup green onions, including tops, sliced
1 can diced Rotel tomatoes, w/ green chilies
2 quarts seafood, chicken, or vegetable stock
1 lb. fresh or frozen okra, sliced
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 tbs. dried thyme
3 bay leaves
2 tbs.'s Cajun seasoning, divided
1 tsp. Tabasco
Salt to taste

 Seafood

1 1/2 lbs. medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 lb. lump crab meat
1 bag gumbo crabs, if available
1 lb. crawfish tails, if available
1 pint fresh oysters
Note: If gumbo crabs and crawfish are unavailable, increase shrimp to 2 lbs.


In a large, 6 quart stock pot, saute the Cajun trinity in the vegetable oil, until soft. (about 10 minutes) Add the garlic, tomatoes and stock, and bring to a boil. Add the okra, parsley, thyme, bay leaves, 1 tbs. Cajun seasoning, salt, and Tabasco, and reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Carefully add the roux to the stock, mix well, and simmer for 10 minutes.

Season shrimp, crawfish, crab meat, and gumbo crabs with other tbs. Cajun seasoning and add to the pot. You can omit this other tbs. of Cajun seasoning, if you prefer a less spicy gumbo. Mix well and continue cooking for 10 minutes. Discard bay leaves.

Add the oysters and green onions and continue cooking on low for 10 minutes. Add more seasoning, if desired and a sprinkling of gumbo file' and garnish with green onions.

Serve with a scoop of hot cooked rice, potato salad, and hot French bread.
Out of this world! Serves 8. Bon appetit!

********
A Cajun Two-Step

Here is another little clip that I took at the festival of The Pine Leaf Boys, playing a Cajun two-step. The couple dancing to the left, at the beginning of the clip, were really stirring up some dust! The lovely blonde with the pony tail, in the pink halter dress, and cowgirl boots is my darling daughter! She may look like her Daddy, but we all know where she got her love of dancing from! This one is for you, cher! Let the good times roll!

The Pine Leaf Boys



Hope you're all having a wonderful weekend! Merci beaucoup for stopping by!

30 comments:

Pat Tillett said...

I can smell it all the way out in california! that looks so darn good...

Trish and Rob MacGregor said...

Oh yum. I smell it here in Florida. Thank you for your thoughtful comment on the ship. Am just now playing catch up! It's a stunning synchro, the story of your friend, and how sad that she died so young.

Rosaria Williams said...

I'm happy to see your instructions for making roux. Without a proper roux, the gumbo will not taste right. Now, off I go to collect my ingredients. I hope okra is available in the freezing compartment.

fuat gencal said...

Çok güzel çok leziz ve iştah açıcı olmuş. Ellerinize, emeğinize sağlık.

Saygılar.

Momo said...

wow,so yummy your dish!

Joanne said...

You have a beautiful daughter, Marguerite. How wonderful that you share your love of music and enjoy the festivals together!

Chef Dennis Littley said...

wow.....now you almost made the old chef cry....what I wouldn't give for a good bowl of down home seafood gumbo and to do a little cajun two step....sigh....it has been way too long....

Kathryn Magendie said...

GMR just made chicken andoille(sp) gumbo - it was gooooood and he made a bread pudding, which I don't usually like bread pudding but this was SO good with a whisky sauce....ooo la la!

ellen abbott said...

you are such a temptress!

Eddie Bluelights said...

Lovely Grub! I'm starving LOL
I can believe that dish, and all your others for that matter, are sinfully delicious (what a great phrase that is!).
Well I've seen your beautiful daughter dancing, I'll have to try hard to find you on a clip when you post it. Wonder which disguise you are going to wear next time! LOL. See ya ~ Eddie

Karen Jones Gowen said...

I've often wanted to make seafood gumbo but the recipes all looked too complicated, until now. When is your recipe book coming out? I am totally going to buy it.

Marguerite said...

Pat- lol Thanks, it is fab and I wish that I could send you some!

Trish- Thanks, glad you like it! You're welcome, the date was quite a synchro and you're right about that.

lakeviewer- Thanks, so glad you want to try it! There are many ways to make a roux, depending on the kind of gumbo you're making. I only use the butter roux for seafood. You could also use 2/3 cup of vegetable oil and 2/3 cup of flour, for a lighter taste.

Catherine said...

Wonderful music and food - just what we need in an Ireland heading for another winter of discontent - financially and economically at any rate, though the weather's great for October!
I left an award for you over at my blog so drop by and collect it - and you may even want to do the task sometime!
Catherine.

Irish Gumbo said...

YES! I didn't know it until I saw this post, but that is exactly what I have been wanting to make all summer and into fall. I've had this nameless hankering for a long time now, and voila! Thank you!

judi/Gmj said...

I love gumbo, I hate making roux!
I wish it could buy it by the jar. you gumbo looks so good.

Kittie Howard said...

Your gumbo looks so good I'm drooling! And your daughter's as purty as can be, just like her mama.

Marguerite said...

Fuat- Thanks, I hope you try the gumbo! If anyone could make it, it would be you! Merci for coming by!

alison- Thanks, so glad you like it! It is fab and the more seafood the better! Thanks for stopping by!

Joanne- Thanks so much for your lovely comment, cher! It is wonderful and we have so much fun!

Dennis- Merci for your sweet comment, cher! Sounds like you need to visit Louisiana sometime soon. Or make this gumbo! lol

Kathryn- Ooo la la is right! You must be living right, cher! Sounds great! That GMR is spoiling you! lol

Pooch Purple Reign said...

OMG jackpot!! i just came her via catherine. this is awesome.
o hi from canada. im excited. i visited louisiana 3 years ago. the FOOD and MUSIC rocked my world. im gonna scope your blog for a potatoe salad recipe to go with the gumbo
~laura

Pooch Purple Reign said...

ps. ive got my tony chacheres and a bottle of slap yo momma and hopefully i can find anything else i need to make some of this great food.
in your banana pudding pie, do you mean approx 1/2 cup butter? and what is pet milk? is it sweetened condensed or evapourated? and large meaning what? i really want to make this for my neighbour
~laura

Arlee Bird said...

I truly am fond of gumbo and this recipe looks like one of the best.

By the way, I passed you another Versatile Blogger award on my Saturday post just to call attention to your blog for any of my readers who don't follow yet.

Lee
Tossing It Out

Al said...

One word Yuuuummmmm!

Drick said...

the only thing missing in this gumbo is me, sitting there lapping it up - great perfection, not anything to change here...

Marguerite said...

Laura- Hi and welcome to Cajun country! So glad to have you, here! My potato salad recipe is under the Sinsational Cajun Sides post- July, 09'. And for the pie, 1 stick butter = 1/2 cup, and Pet milk = evaporated milk, 12 oz. Your neighbor will love it! Merci beaucoup for stopping by and for following! Cheers!

ellen- I'll take that as a compliment, cher! lol Thanks for coming by!

Eddie, Merci for your lovely comment, cher! My Dad is the one who coined that phrase, many moons ago. lol You will just have to wait and see! lol You make me laugh so much!

Karen- Thanks, so glad you like the gumbo and want to try it! The roux is a bit tricky, at first, but the rest is easy, and it's SO worth the effort! Hopefully soon, thanks so much!

Catherine- So good to hear from you! Thanks for your kind comment and for the award! It was so nice of you to think of me! I will be over, soon! Thanks for stopping by!

Irish- Great to see you! I thought of you when I was cooking this gumbo! Its would be fab with some Chesapeake Bay crabs and oysters! You're welcome, thanks for coming by!

Eddie Bluelights said...

My grandmother was responsible for me making people laugh.
She used to say, "Laugh and the whole world laughs with you - weep and you weep alone". Very true. She also said, "He who goes borrowing, goes sorrowing!"
Like your dad's phrase best though.
Wear a red rose in your hair on the next video dancing clip so I will be able to recognise you LOL

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Sounds awesome! You post some great recipies.

Talei said...

Oh wow! I'm going to pay the local fishmongers a visit this coming weekend to try your recipe! I can definitely smell the aroma now. YUM!!

Mehmet Osman Çağlar said...

Bonjour Marguerite ; delicious odors coming with waves to Türkiye. Thanks for sharing.

Wishing you a good week full of fun.Mon cher ami!

Love ang hugs, Zhivago

Vagabonde said...

I was away again and just read through your last several posts. So much good food, so much dancing! I don’t think I see that much dancing anywhere else in the US! You are having too much fun in your part of the country I declare – but you might as well – life is short like the miners from Chili said, enjoy it. I did copy a couple of your recipes and if I cook them here I guess I’ll have to dance in the den too! At least I have a good CD of Beausoleil.

Marguerite said...

judi- Thanks, cher! I prefer to make my own roux, but you can buy roux in a jar, at Wal Mart and online at cajunsupermarket.com Savoies is a good brand. Do it! lol

Kitty- So good to hear from you, cher! Merci for your sweet comment! She's my baby girl and she cooks better than me! Thanks for coming by!

Lee- Thanks, this seafood gumbo is my fave, and it is out of this world! Also, merci beaucoup, again, for the award! It was so sweet of you to think of me!

Al- Great to see you and I'm so glad you stopped by!! Thanks, it is sinfully delicious, for sure!

Drick- lol, Next time I make it, I'll let you know ahead of time! Merci, cher, that's quite a compliment coming from one of the best chefs in the South! Cheers!

Eddie- Sounds like maybe you take after your grandmother? lol I definitely take after my Dad! Guess I'll have to go to the Roses Club, again! lol

Magic of Spice said...

An absolute favorite...I would love to have my house filled with that aroma :)