Seafood Gumbo

Gumbo originated in Louisiana in the 18th century and stems from several cultures: French, Spanish, and West African.

Creole gumbo generally contains shellfish, tomatoes, and a thickener. Cajun gumbo (which I don't cover here) is generally based on a dark roux and is spicier, with either shellfish or fowl. Sausage or ham can be added to either.  

This recipe makes about 6 meal size servings.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 clove minced garlic
• 1 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1 790 ml (about 28 oz) can diced tomatoes
• 2 cups water
• about 3/4 cup of chopped green pepper (apparently celery works too).
• about 2 cups of chopped okra (fresh or frozen).
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 bay leaves
• hot pepper sauce to taste
• 1 - 120 gram can of crabmeat
• about 1 to 2 cups of shrimp
• about 1 cup of small scallops
• 1 cup of rice and about 2 cups of water for rice bed (follow the directions on the rice container).

How to:

• Cook the onion and garlic in 3 tbsp butter until onion is tender in a large saucepan or Dutch oven.
• Blend in the flour, cooking and stirring until the flour is golden brown.
• stir in the can of diced tomatoes, 2 cups of water, chopped green pepper, bay leaves, oregano, thyme, salt and hot sauce.
• Bring to boil, reduce heat, cover, and let simmer for about 20 minutes.
• Stir in the okra and let simmer for another 5 minutes.
• Stir in the shrimp, crab meat, and scallops and cook for additional 5 minutes until heated through.
• Prepare the cup of rice with 2 cups of water (depending on the rice's instructions).

Serving:

Serve the gumbo mixture over the hot cooked rice in soup plates.  Traditionally the rice is mounded in the centre of the soup plate, while the gumbo is spooned around it.

  

Did you notice that the bay leaves are still in the mixture?  I decreed that the family member who gets served a bay leaf gets to do the dishes.  It seldom worked, but it was worth trying.  More about doing dishes here.