Question by Roneo: Who knows how to make a great Gumbo stew?
My housemates and I want to make a meat version and a seafood version for a dinner party we're holding in a few weeks.
Plus recommendations for wine, drink, Cajan and/or Creole accompaniments would also be appreciated
Please upload recipe details or links to recipes and images.
Particularly keen to know the magic ingredients to make authentic (or close enough) Gumbo.
Happy to hear from anyone - anywhere - with a great recipe to help us make the dinner party for 12-16 people a success!
- Roneo, Sydney Australia.
Best answer:
Answer by HorsePoopSmellGood
For good Gumbo you need stock. This one is good!
Seafood Gumbo Stock
INGREDIENTS
shells from 1 pound shrimp
40 cups water
8 carrots, sliced
8 onions, quartered
1 bunch celery, sliced
4 bay leaves
6 cloves garlic, sliced
4 sprigs fresh parsley
10 whole cloves
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
2 tablespoons dried basil
1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon dried thyme
DIRECTIONS
Bake shrimp shells at 375 degrees F (195 degrees C) until dried and starting to brown on edges.
In an 8-quart pot, combine water, carrots, onions, celery, bay leaves, garlic, parsley, cloves, pepper, basil, thyme and shrimp shells. Bring slowly to a boil.
Reduce heat, and cook 5 to 7 hours. Replace water as needed, 2 or 3 times, by pouring more water down the inside of the pot.
Remove stock from heat, and strain. Press all liquid from the shells and vegetables, then discard them. Return liquid to heat, and reduce to 2 to 3 quarts, or to taste.
Here is a great gumbo!!! Hope you like!!!
Gumbo --serves 20
INGREDIENTS
4 pounds medium shrimp - peeled and deveined
1/2 cup corn oil
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup chicken broth
1 (3 pound) whole chicken
2 onions, chopped
5 stalks celery, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
5 large tomatoes, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon salt
2 tablespoons Old Bay Seasoning TM
1 tablespoon ground cayenne pepper
3 (6 ounce) cans crab meat, drained
1 pound andouille sausage, diced
2 tablespoons file powder***
DIRECTIONS
Peel and devein the shrimp. Refrigerate shrimp meat. Place the shrimp heads and shells in a large pot, and cover with 2 quarts of water. Cover, and simmer over medium low heat until liquid is reduced by half. Strain out the shrimp heads and shells.
Select a large stock pot capable of holding all the ingredients. Add oil to the pot, and heat over medium high heat. Using a long handled spoon, stir in flour; cook and stir for several minutes until dark brown. At that point, the flour suddenly puffs and absorbs the oil. Slowly stir in chicken broth and an equal amount of water. Place chicken in the pot. Add onions, celery, bell pepper, tomatoes, garlic, bay leaves, red pepper flakes, Old Bay seasoning, and salt. Boil for about 1 1/2 hours, or until chicken meat is no longer pink and the juices run clear.
Remove chicken from the pot, and set aside until cool enough to handle. Remove bones, and chop the chicken into about one inch pieces.
Add chicken meat, shrimp broth, crab meat, sausage, and shrimp to . Add the file powder, and stir from the bottom of the pot. When the gumbo comes to a boil, remove from heat. Continue to stir from the bottom for 1 minute. Serve.
Note***
File powder is a seasoning made from the ground, dried leaves of the sassafras tree. It's an integral part of Creole cooking, and is used to thicken and flavor Gumbos and other Creole dishes. File should be stirred into a dish after it's removed from the heat because undue cooking makes file tough and stringy.
Give your answer to this question below!