Savannah Seafood Gumbo
So this past Monday, Barret sent me a text message while I was at work asking if I knew how to make Gumbo.......I thought it was kind of odd that just out of the blue he would text me about gumbo.......however after I responded and told him that I hadnt the slighest clue about how to make gumbo......he mentioned that he had just picked up lunch at Popeyes.......so maybe they were advertising their gumbo or something/ who knows.....not sure why I went into all that with you guys?! Anywho.....I told him I would look up some recipes and see what I could find, and then he mentioned that his mom made a Bad
A@$ pot of gumbo.....and as quickly as my recipe search for the Perfect Gumbo started it ended......Barret's mom is a fantastic cook and I knew her version of Gumbo would be Super Delicious! So he called and let her know that "we" wanted to try and make Gumbo and ask if she could call and explain the recipe to me.......we ended up playing phone tag and before I knew it I was writing out my grocery list without a recipe for Gumbo......so I did a quick search online for seafood gumbo and Paula Deen's Savannah Seafood Gumbo was one of the first to pop up, and it had a ton of positive reviews......so I decided to go with it, and I am so happy I did!!!
Even though all the reviews for Paula's Gumbo were wonderful I was still super NERVOUS and Intimidated about making it!! All of the ingredients were pretty pricey and I kept thinking about what a waste it would be if this turned out to be the most inedible pot of gumbo instead of the perfect pot of gumbo. I was also beyond scared of making a roux.....I have no idea why people......I just was!
So i cautiously began my gumbo preparations.......one thing I learned while recipe researching was that the combination of celery, onion, and bell pepper......also know as the Holy Trinity is present in all gumbo variations, cajun or creole.....you will always have that veggie combo!
I am sharing the exact recipe I got off of food network with ya'll.......I did not follow it completely.......I REPEAT I did not follow it completely! Actually I followed it pretty much exactly until my super good looking taste tester came into the kitchen and started making modifications......I will share the changes he/we made below the original recipe!
1/4 cup oil
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups onion, chopped
1 cup green bell pepper, chopped
1 cup celery, diced
3 large garlic cloves, minced
4 cups chicken broth
1 tablespoon chicken base
3 cups water
2 bay leaves
1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/3 cup dried parsley
1 teaspoon lemon pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons House Seasoning, recipe follows
2 tablespoons soy sauce or Worcestershire sauce
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes seasoned with garlic, basil, and oregano or 2 cups fresh diced tomatoes
4 cups sliced Cajun-style fresh link sausage
4 cups cut okra (fresh or frozen)
2 cups oysters and liquor
1/2 pound crabmeat
1 1/2 pounds fresh peeled shrimp
File powder
- In a large pot combine oil and flour.
- Cook over medium heat stirring constantly until the roux has browned to a light chocolate color.
- Add onion, pepper, celery and garlic. Saute for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Slowly add chicken broth, and chicken base, stirring as you go. Add water, bay leaves, thyme, basil, parsley, lemon pepper, cayenne pepper, House Seasoning, soy sauce and tomatoes.
- Cut sausage into 1/2-inch pieces. Add to pot along with okra.
- Cover pot and simmer for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.
- Add oysters, crabmeat, shrimp and scallops.
- Simmer for an additional 15 minutes. Serve over hot buttered rice. Sprinkle with file powder on top of bowl and stir in.
- Tip: Add file powder after putting gumbo into individual serving bowls. Adding file into the pot will make the gumbo too thick as File powder acts as a thickening agent.
- House Seasoning:
- 1 cup salt
- 1/4 cup black pepper
- 1/4 cup garlic powder+
- Mix ingredients together and store in an airtight container for up to 6 months.
- Yield: 1 1/2 cups
And now for our modifications.........I cut out the oysters and andoiulle sausage completely......Barret doesnt like oysters and the Taylor HEB did not have andoiulle sausage.....so i used meyers garlic flavored(go figure!) whatever you have on hand will work just fine....however if you dont use the andouille, make sure and add more cayenne pepper than what the recipe calls for......we ended up having to do this. We also didnt add the full 4C of sausage, just 2C. I used 2lbs of shrimp since i left out the oysters and followed the recipe when it came to the crab meat.....i wanted to add more, but 15$ for a 1/2 lb of crab meat prevented that! I did not mix up Paula's House Seasoning, I just added all 3 of those ingredients on their own. This next part is
MUCHO IMPORTANTE.......about 20min before you add your seafood taste the gumbo to see if it needs anything.......the amount of salt and cayenne pepper that this recipe calls for was not enough for us........so after we did a quick taste test Barret added around 6 pinches of kosher salt and an equal amount of cayenne......I know I know your thinking pinches......seriously what the hell is a pinch.....and i honestly cant be exact on the measurement....but its pretty comprable to 1/2 tsp.......just add a little and taste, add a little and taste until its exactly the way you like it! Last thing......we did not add the file.....once again because i could not find it at HEB, and also because i read somewhere that the okra acts as a thickener as well.......Wait I lied.......this is the last thing.......I found that the 1 1/2 hr simmering time was way to short......the gumbo did not thicken enough let it go for 2 - 2 1/2 hours.....just make sure your stove stays on a lower temp.
Finally.....Make this Gumbo....even if it scares you....then call your sister or one of your girlfriends, even your neighbor, and invite them over for dinner......your going to want to show this off!!! I promise!
