As much as I love gumbo, it seems I typically only make it once or twice a year.
The main gumbo I create is my special Louisiana-Style New Year’s Seafood Gumbo served with dirty rice.
* Note: If you’re looking for a quick fix to making a gumbo, this is NOT it. This is definitely one of those dishes that’s a labor of love, if you want to do it correctly and make it the most delicious gumbo that’s worthy of a seafood cornucopia on New Year’s Day.
We always make so much of it, so we can share it with family & friends…They expect me to bring some over to their houses when I visit them on New Year’s Day or the day after.
Type: Soup Recipe
Serve With: Dirty Rice
Prep Time: 30 min
Cook Time: 3 hrs
Yield: Giant Pot of Gumbo! LOL
Below is a cooking show for a New Year’s Seafood Gumbo, but it’s not this exact recipe listed below. Experiment with different meat & seafood to make your own unique gumbo of whatever you please or whatever you have on hand. Please enjoy this webisode of Cooking with Kimberly:
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 2 large onions – chopped
- 1 green pepper – chopped
- 1 red pepper – chopped
- 1 yellow pepper – chopped
- 1 cubano or banana pepper – chopped
- 6 cloves garlic – quartered
- 2 1/2 cups celery – sliced
- 2 cups carrots – peeled & sliced (optional)
- 2 1/2 cups smoked sausage – sliced & halved
- 8 lobster claws – or 1 whole lobster – you may substitute crab legs/crab
- 2 cups calamari rings
- 4 cups shrimp – peeled & de-veined
- 2 cups clams – with clam liqueur
- 8 cups chicken stock
- 2 beers – whatever brand you prefer – I use dark beers.
- * Optional – 1/2 cup red wine
- 6 whole eggs – in shell
- 1 tsp gumbo file – also called sassafras
- 1/2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/4 tsp chili powder
Instructions:
- Chop all vegetables and set aside in separate bowls before starting the roux on the stove. * You need to be prepared ahead of time.
- In a large stock pot, at least 12 litres in capacity, add flour and olive oil and combine completely until there are no lumps – you may use a whisk to get this consistency. Turn heat on to medium-low heat. * Be prepared to be here for at least an hour, so grab a few cold beers in the meantime, while you darken your roux. This is the most important step of a good, authentic gumbo.
- In the “low and slow” method, continue to move the roux around, being sure it’s not burning and it’s changing color evenly on medium-low heat. The mixture will go from the “blonde” color, through to a peanut butter color, to a milk chocolate color, and finally to a dark chocolate color. Be sure not to allow the roux to burn in any way. Keep moving it. It will be worth it.
- Once the roux is a dark chocolate color, add the chopped sausage and brown it in the roux.
- Add the vegetables half at a time. Once they are partially softened, add the remaining vegetables and continue to soften in the roux with the sausage.
- Stir in spices.
- Add liquid, meaning chicken broth, water, black tea or a mixture of the three. Add beer and/or wine. Turn heat up to medium.
- Allow gumbo to come to a simmer and reduce heat to medium-low once more.
- Add whole eggs in the shell, which will become hard boiled.
- Add seafood you have on hand and allow the gumbo to return to a simmer for about 10-15 minutes longer.
- Taste test the gumbo. It should have somewhat of a smoky, spicy flavor. If the gumbo is bitter, usually due to the beer and/or wine, add honey 1 tbsp at a time and stir, then re-taste to adjust flavors.
- Serve with dirty rice and top with gumbo file/sassafras and Louisiana hot sauce, if desired.
I typically serve each bowl with one boiled egg, which can be cracked open and broken up in the soup, be sure to serve the gumbo with a side dish for shells of seafood and eggs.
I hope you enjoyed this Cajun Food Recipe on Cooking With Kimberly. Until next time…
Eat Deliciously!
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- Seafood for New Year’s
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