Louisiana Seafood Gumbo
Chicken – I prefer a whole chicken to use the meat and make chicken stock.
Trinity – In classic creole and Cajun cooking, the trinity is a must which consists of onions, bell peppers, and celery.
Sausage – Use a good andouille sausage.
Gumbo crabs break in half
Oil – Vegetable oil is the traditional fat to use.
Garlic – A few garlic cloves will go a long way toward the gumbo flavor.
Flour – All-purpose flour is what you will need to make the roux.
Seasonings – You will need to use a Cajun seasoning, whether a homemade or store-bought. You will also need a few bay leaves.
Okra – Fresh sliced or frozen sliced will work.
How to Make Gumbo
Add the whole chicken to a large pot, cover it with 1 gallon of water, and simmer on low to medium heat for 75 to 90 minutes or until the chicken is thoroughly cooked.
In the meantime, add some oil to a large pot over medium heat and sauté the sausage slices for 5 to 6 minutes or until they have sear marks. Set them aside in a bowl or on a plate.
Add the onions to the pot and cook over low heat until very well caramelized, which usually takes 45 to 60 minutes.
Next, add the celery and bell peppers, and sauté over medium heat for 6 to 8 minutes or until the vegetables are a little brown and tender.
Stir in the garlic and cook until it’s fragrant, which takes 45 to 60 seconds.
Set the sauteed vegetables to the side on a plate or in a bowl and then return the pot to the burner but do not turn the heat on just yet.
Go Back to the pot with the chicken, carefully remove it, and set it to the side on a large plate. Cool it slightly.
Strain the chicken stock through a chinois or fine-mesh strainer.
Return the chicken stock to the cooktop and keep it warm over low heat.
Remove the skin from the cooked whole chicken, and then remove as much meat as possible from the breasts, wings, thighs, and drums.
Roughly chop the pulled chicken and set it to the side.
Next, go back to the pot where the trinity vegetables were cooked and add in the oil over low to medium heat and heat for 2 to 3 minutes.
Frequently whisk or stir the roux in the pot until it reaches the dark roux stage. It should be the color of a dark penny. This will take around 30 minutes to achieve.
Pour back in the cooked vegetables and stir until combined.
Sprinkle in the Cajun seasonings and stir to combine.
Pour 2 to 3 ladles of warm chicken stock into the pot and mix it with the vegetables, spices, and roux until it becomes dark and creamy.
Now pour all the chicken stock, the roughly chopped chicken, and the seared sausage slices.
Next, add the bay leaves and sliced okra and stir it well.
Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat to help activate the roux to help thicken the stock.
Once boiling, turn the heat down to low medium, and cook it on a lid for 1 hour.
Adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper. Serve, store, or keep it warm over low heat.
Then add crab cook for 25 to 30 minutes on low
Lastly add shrimp cook for 20 minutes.
Time to serve over rice
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Dining and Cooking