The Best Cajun Seafood Gumbo with NO OKRA!
Gumbo was always a part of our cuisine, whether we had it at the homes of relatives, grandparents or when my mother made her own. Most of the time we had chicken gumbo, but if my mom got her hands on some okra, she might splurge for shrimp and make her shrimp gumbo served over rice (always) with slices of boiled egg. My favorite, however, was when she made seafood gumbo including crab claws and oysters. My version is made without okra (I know, I know, some say it's not really gumbo without okra, but I disagree). My definition of gumbo is a cross between a soup and stew with a rich dark roux, flavored with the "trinity" of onion, bell pepper and celery (I always include and chop the celery leaves for flavor), garlic, thyme, hot pepper and paprika. Out of sheer convenience, I always use a creole seasoning which includes salt, pepper, paprika, garlic and onion powders. The seafood is added at the end to keep its integrity. Overcooked crabmeat will shred and disappear in the gumbo. Overcooked oysters lose their lovely texture and overcooked shrimp can become rubbery or mealy. The finishing touch on any gumbo, is chopped fresh curly parsley and chopped green onion added just before serving.
To top it all off, my mom would add a little pepper vinegar, usually from her jars of homemade hot mirliton pickles and also add a scoop of starchy potato salad (my mom would make hers with very little mayonnaise). I like mine with eggs, celery and dill pickles.
To make the best seafood gumbo:
1/2 cup cooking oil (canola or vegetable oils are my favorites)
1/2 cup flour
1 chopped onion
1 chopped bell pepper
3 stalks celery with leaves attached, chopped
1 to 2 quarts of water or seafood stock
1 to 2 teaspoons shrimp or fish bouillon, if using water
1 tsp. Creole or Cajun seasoning
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1 pound crab claws
8 ounces shucked oysters with liquid
1 pound peeled and deveined medium shrimp
3 green onions, chopped
1 handful curly parsley, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
Garnish: pepper vinegar, sliced boiled eggs or potato salad
Heat 1/2 cup cooking oil (I used vegetable oil) and add 1/2 cup flour. Stir over medium heat for about 15-20 minutes, stirring constantly and don't walk away because it will burn. Next, add 1 chopped onion, 1 small chopped bell pepper and 3 stalks celery with leaves, chopped. Stir for 2 minutes. Add one quart of water or seafood stock. Add 1--2 tsp. shrimp or fish bouillon, 1 tsp. cajun seasoning, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp. dried thyme, 1/2 tsp. onion powder. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for 30 minutes. Add 2 pound of seafood (I used crab claws, shucked oysters with the oyster liquid and shrimp). Cook only until the edges of the oysters curl and the shrimp are pink. Taste for seasoning. Add 3 chopped green onions and 1/4 cup chopped curly parsley (very Cajun). Serve over rice with a little scoop of potato salad.
Cajun Potato Salad
3-4 cups peeled russet potatoes, cut into chunks (or small quartered new potatoes)
2-3 boiled eggs, diced
1-3 tablespoons mayonnaise
optional: 1 stalk celery, chopped and 2 tablespoons chopped dill pickles, 1 tablespoon chopped green onion tops
To make the potato salad, place cooked potatoes, chopped boiled eggs, chopped dill pickles, chopped celery, a little cajun seasoning and a small amount of mayonnaise (start with a tablespoon, you don't want too much) in a bowl and stir. This is best served right away at room temperature and refrigerate leftovers.
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