Week #50

Recipe Submitted By Saltfisher1.

Making Gumbo My Way.


You have to start off any good gumbo or creole with a "roux"...This will be the base of you gumbo and determine how thick/thin the gumbo will be.

You need to save up 1 pint or more of bacon drippings and keep it in a jar in the fridge...Cooking oil will work but the flavor just isn't the same.

"Medium-low to Medium"...don't burn it!
You put near equal amounts of bacon fat and self rising flour in the bottom of your pot..Make sure this is the pot you intend to make the gumbo in...You may need to add a touch more fat/grease to the flour because it needs to be able to be stirred. This stirring process can take about 30 to 45 minutes but you don't want to rush it and burn the flour too quickly or you will get a bitter taste...just stir every minute or so with a wood spoon until the flour is just a little darker than peanut butter.

At this point I add the "trinity"..2 or 3 bell pepper,6 to 8 stalks of celery, and 3 big onions chopped...I add a little fresh chopped garlic, salt, pepper,parsley, bay-leaves(3-4).. Stir these ingredients in well and cover them for about 20 minutes to let the trinity sweat...(add a hot pepper for heat..optional)...keep on medium heat!




You will notice that the flour is starting to take on moisture and turn into a really thick gravy. .At this point I add 2 cans of diced tomatoes, 2 lbs of fresh chopped okra, 1lb each of yellow squash and zucchini chopped, and a can of corn...I add 2 to 3 beers of choice..just enough to meet the top of these ingredients....I stir this in well and add a touch more salt and pepper...(season it a little as you go)..I let this stay on medium and stir it to keep it from sticking on bottom every few minutes.....Make sure there is enough water but don't over fill it.....Let the vegetables break down and start falling to pieces then you will be ready for the next step.



This is where you make the decision if you want shrimp gumbo or all out seafood gumbo...I like all out seafood gumbo so I add a pint to a quart of crab-meat....stir it in well and let the temperature come back up for a few minutes...Sometimes I will finely chop up a fish fillet like flounder or snapper and add in at the same time as the crab.....Let the fish cook through before adding next ingredients....Peel and devein 2 to 4 lbs of shrimp(the more the merrier)...add the shrimp and let them all turn that pink/cooked color then add a quart of select oysters and stir it all in....Turn the heat off at this point because the remaining heat will cook the oysters over the next few minutes.



I serve mine over rice with a sprinkle of "gumbo file" and sliced jalapeno's on the side.

I can taste it now...mmm mmmm good!